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Shaver, Erwin Leander, 
The project principle 






religious education 





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The Project Principle 


in Religious Education 


A Manual of Theory and Practice 
for Church-School Leaders 


By) 
Erwin L. SHAVER 


Author of 4 Survey of Week-Day Religious Education, 
Teaching Adolescents in the Church School, etc. 


THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS 
CHICAGO + ILLINOIS 





COPYRIGHT 1924 By 
Tue UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 


All Rights Reserved 


Published November 1924 


Composed and Printed By 
The University of Chicago Press 
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. 


TO MY MOTHER 


Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2022 with funding from 
Princeton Theological Seminary Library 


httos://archive.org/details/projectprinciple0Oshav 


GENERAL PREFACE 


The progress in religious education in the last few 
years has been highly encouraging. The subject has 
attained something of a status as a scientific study, and 
significant investigative and experimental work has 
been done. More than that, trained men and women in 
increasing numbers have been devoting themselves to 
the endeavor to work out in churches and Sunday 
schools the practical problems of organization and 
method. 

It would seem that the time has come to present 
to the large body of workers in the field of religious 
education some of the results of the studies and practice 
of those who have attained a measure of educational 
success. With this end in view the present series of 
books on “Principles and Methods of Religious Educa- 
tion”’ has been undertaken. 

It is intended that these books, while thoroughly 
scientific in character, shall be at the same time popular 
in presentation, so that they may be available to 
Sunday-school and church workers everywhere. The 
endeavor is definitely made to take into account the 
small school with meager equipment, as well as to hold 
before the larger schools the ideals of equipment and 
training. 

The series is planned to meet as far as possible all 
the problems that arise in the conduct of the educational 


1x 


x GENERAL PREFACE 


work of the church. While the Sunday school, there- 
fore, is considered as the basal organization for this 
purpose, the wider educational work of the pastor him- 
self and that of the various other church organizations 
receive due consideration as parts of a unified system of 
education in morals and religion. 

THE EDITORS 


AUTHOR’S PREFACE 


The most recent term with which to conjure in 
educational circles is the term project. While this is 
particularly true in the world of public education, it is 
likewise significant that those engaged in the task of 
religious education, for whom this book is intended, 
are not far behind. Since we are continually warned to 
avoid seizing upon new methods because they are new 
and popular, it is well to examine carefully the new idea. 
Much that is worthless is already passing for project- 
teaching in our church schools. On the other hand, if 
there is value in the new concept, we should know how 
to obtain it without repeating the mistakes to which 
religious education has too often been susceptible. The 
writer believes that there are great possibilities for 
project-teaching in the field of religious education. 
This volume of theory and practice is an attempt to 
set forth such possibilities. 

It is quite impossible to answer the question, “‘ What 
is the project principle?’ in one chapter. The first 
few pages can serve only to stimulate thinking upon the 
theme; the remainder of the book should carry that 
thinking farther; actual experience on the part of the 


church-school worker in the use of the project principle ° 


must be the final answer with regard to its effectiveness. 
Hence there can be no lengthy discussion of the theory 
of project-teaching in these pages. Disputes as to the 


xl 


a 


xii AUTHOR’S PREFACE 


value of the name, the antiquity or recency of the idea, 
and the inclusiveness of the concept will receive but 
incidental treatment. It is proposed simply to give a 
sufficient background of educational theory and illus- 
trations of practical use so that earnest and progressive 
teachers may venture forth upon relatively uncharted 
seas, but possessed of a compass. An outstanding 
characteristic of the project idea is that it refuses to 
be reduced to a formula. It has no “formal steps.” 
One cannot tell a teacher just what to do next. Only 
in a very general way can one teacher assume to make 
project plans for another. The new idea places the 
responsibility to a greater degree than ever before upon 
the teacher rather than upon the textbook or manual. 
Hence, the perusal or even earnest study of this volume 
will not equip our church-school workers for teaching 
through projects. At best it can serve only as a 
medium through which the experience of others is 
gathered together. Using this experience as a guide, 
the teacher must then project for himself and learn by 
carrying his purpose through to completion and by 
evaluating the outcomes. - 

In the preparation of this volume the author has 
been greatly helped in many ways. His dependence 
upon former teachers and progressive thinkers, who are 
blazing the trail for the new religious education, finds a 
partial expression in the footnote and bibliography 
references. ‘The kindness of publishers in granting the 
privilege of quotation is greatly appreciated. Specific 
acknowledgment is given in connection with the 
material quoted., The host of friends who have 


AUTHOR’S PREFACE Xili 


co-operated by furnishing the descriptions of project- 
teaching found in Part II have given the book the 
greater portion of any value it may have, and the 
author gratefully acknowledges their contribution. 


ERWIN L. SHAVER 


Boston, MASSACHUSETTS 
April, 1924 


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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
PART I. THEORY AND TECHNIQUE ‘-: 


CHAPTER 


If 
II. 
TTT; 
IV. 


WuatT Is THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE? . 
THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION 
EDUCATION FOR CHARACTER . 


THE PRojEcT PRINCIPLE APPLIED TO CHRISTIAN 
EDUCATION . 


. DISCOVERING PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCA- 


TION . 


. CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT . 

. DISCOVERING PUPILS’ INTERESTS 

. THE PRojECT PRINCIPLE AND THE CURRICULUM 
. USING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING . 

. THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER 

. THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE AND CHURCH-SCHOOL 


ORGANIZATION . 


. INTRODUCING PROJECT-TEACHING 


PART II. DESCRIPTIONS OF CHURCH- 
SCHOOL PROJECTS 


INTRODUCTORY NOTE . 
SECTION 


I 


PROJECTS OF BEGINNERS . 
1. A Friendship Party 
2. A Play Approach to Siricine Gunes 


XV 


113 


140 


167 


181 


183 
183 
185 


Xvi 


SECTION 


a 
4. 
Sy 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Learning to Say ‘‘Thank You” 
A Christmas Party 
Kindness to Animals . 


II. PRoyects oF PRIMARY CHILDREN 


6. 


vie 
. Making a Scrapbook for a Tao Missioll 


Leading a Primary Worship Service 
How a Course Grew . 


School 


. A Valentine 

. A Project in Self- Controls 
. A Good-Health Project 

. Discovering a Neighbor . 


IIT. PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS . 


nets 
14. 
Rae 
16. 
17. 
18. 
IQ. 
20. 


Our Friends, the American Indians . 
Building an Indian Village 

Our Parish Church 

Class Worship Projects 

A Project on India ; 

A Motivated Study Project . 


“A Book of Missionary Heroes 


A Thanksgiving Service for Old Beam 


IV. Projects oF INTERMEDIATES . 


aI. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
a5, 
26. 
27; 
28. 


A Project in Mission Study . 

Choosing a Profession 

When “The Rockabilts” Put It tee: 
The Working of a Trail Rangers’ Group 
Marbles for the Mission Field 2 
A Project Approach to the Life of Christ . 
A Project of Church Membership 

Enlisting Other Departments in a Mission- 
ary Project. 


PAGE 
187 
189 
IQI 
193 
193 
194 


197 
198 
199 
202 
203 


205 
205 
207 
208 
210 
212 
215 
217 
219 


223 
223 
225 
22% 
230 
232 
234 
236 


239 


SECTION 


VI. 


20. 


30. 
ae 
a2. 
33: 
34. 
35: 


39: 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Christian Citizenship in the Everyday Life 
of Boys and Girls . 

Letters from Paul. 

Following Jesus Christ 

Dramatizing Missionary Stories for Others 
Brothers under the Skin . 

A Church-School Boys’ Band 

Developing Skill for Service . 


. PROJECTS OF SENIORS . 
36. 


37- 
Chole 


Our Every-Member Canvass 

A Church-School Press Club 

Writing Original Programs as a Be vice 
Project . ‘ 

Developing Initiative aa espe rinsten in 
a High-School Department 


. A Project in Biblical Dramatics . 
. Selecting Topics for Young People’s Meet- 


Inge, 


es Crit a Hyena ; ; 
. A Co-operative Study of Church Hictney , 
. A Book of Prayers : 

. How Six High-School Boys Wrote Guana 


Citizenship in High School 


. The Budget of Our Church . 

. Organizing a District Association 

. A World-Service Project . 

. A Home-Service Project . 

. Our Church’s Work around the world 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE . 


SI. 


52 


A Christian Citizenship-Training Project : 
Our Young People’s Institutes . 


XVil 
PAGE 


240 
244 
245 
247 
240 
251 
253 


255 


255 
257 


260 


263 
265 


269 
271 
273 
274 


276 
279 
281 
283 
285 
289 


292 
292 
294 


XViii 


SECTION 


VII. 


VET 


53. 
54. 


55: 
56. 


57: 


58. 
59. 


60. 
61. 
62. 
63. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Correlating the Religious Agencies of a 
College . 

A Department of Retioiods tHducaien 
Serving the Community . 

Christian Vocational Guidance . 

The Young People’s Summer Conference as 
a Project : 

Discovering a Plan e {peal SERBOI Orcutt 
ization . 2 

Improving Chapel Sarvice 

An Enterprise in Play-Writing aya Ble 
Production. . 

The Comrades of me ae 

Our Council Yearbook 

A Study-Worship-Service eee 

Young People Remaking Their Program 


PROJECTS OF ADULTS . 


64. 
65. 


66. 
GW: 
68. 
69. 


Neighbors . : 

How One Brother yoode Met ete “Boy 
Problem”’ 

A Church-School lecrernent Proedl 
The Peach Street Mission 

Providing a Playground for Parish Children 
Two Studies in Practical Churchmanship . 


PROJECTS CARRIED ON BY MoRE THAN ONE 
DEPARTMENT 


70. 
a, 
72, 
73: 


D.V.B.S. at Work for the Church 
Thanking the Traffic Policeman 

Our Parish in India . , 

The Church School and the ‘Community 
A Christmas Project . 


PAGE 





TABLE OF CONTENTS X1x 


SECTION PAGE 


74. A Self-Denial Week for the Near East. . 343 
45. ,Wotld-Friendship Projects’) 30.0) Vee 345 
yoOneuminating the Cliquespirit ye ire. 10347 
77, Our Mountaineer Friends :. |. ... «349 
REFERENCE List oF ADDITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS . . 353 


PAR Lali APPENDIX 


I. Source List oF PuBLIC-SCHOOL PROJECTS . . 357 
II. A PLAN FOR SECURING CO-OPERATION OF PARENTS 360 


III. FINDINGS OF THE FOREST HILLS CONFERENCE . 364 


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PART I 
THEORY AND TECHNIQUE 


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CHAPTER I 
WHAT IS THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE? 


The idea that one learns by practical experience is! * 
by no means a new thought. ~ The great teachers of 
all ages have agreed that the changes wrought in one’s 
ways of living come about as a result of experience. 
All the philosophies of education mankind has known 
rest upon this fundamental principle. The costliness, 
but withal the implied effectiveness, of experience is 
one of our time-honored axioms. The history and 
literature of the race are replete with illustrative 
material. One might quote at length from the writings 
of educationists if it were necessary to drive home this 
point. 

The comparatively recent branch of knowledge 
which we call psychology has undertaken to analyze 
the learning process and has stated this ancient truth 
in scientific terms. We are told that when a human 
being is brought face to face with a new situation in 
his search for satisfaction of his desires, he finds his old 
ways of acting insufficient and is forced to make new 
adjustments. The making of these new adjustments, 
which means new physical habits, new ideas, and new 
attitudes, we call learning. The individual is not the 
same as he was before he had the new experience. We 
are often tempted to think of learning as limited to the 
acquisition of certain new ideas, but closer inspection 


3 


4 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


reveals the effect which experiences have upon the entire 
living organism. 

That education, learning, or growth is constantly 
going on is likewise no new idea. ‘That is, experiences 
may be taking place which have not been consciously 
planned. Whenever defects appear in our more 
deliberately outlined educational scheme, we are con- 
fronted with the suggestion that experience in the larger 
sense may help us out of the difficulty. Thus more and 
more there has come the tendency to enlarge the scope 
of education in the sense of controlled experience and 
add new material to the curriculum. 

Controlled experience, or education in its stricter 
aspect, may be looked at from two angles. It is con- 
cerned, on the one hand, with the amount of change 
which takes place in the individual, or on the other hand, 
with the desirability of the change. Education may 
thus be quantitative or qualitative, though such an 
artificial distinction is hard to maintain. From one 
standpoint we ask: “Is the individual being educated, 
that is, is he growing, is he becoming more capable of 
adjusting himself to larger and more complex situa- 
tions?” From the other angle we ask: “Is the change 
taking place in him in the direction which society 
agrees is proper ?” 


CRITERIA OF EDUCATIVE EXPERIENCE 


Turning our attention to the effectiveness of the 
educative process we may select from among a number 
of possible statements four criteria upon the basis of 
which we may judge as to the extent to which a given 


WHAT Is THE PRojECT PRINCIPLE? 5 


experience changes or educates the experiencer. While 
these are not new, they are nevertheless emphases which 
are receiving most attention in the educational world 
today. 

1. Experience is educative in proportion to the 
degree to which it 1s entered into pur posefully.— Other 
things being equal, the fact that the individual closely 
identifies himself with or loses himself in the activity- 
experience insures permanence of change in him. If 
he feels that he desires the experience, that it will be of 
real value to him, so that he actively pays attention to 
what he is experiencing, he will get the more from it. 
This wholeheartedness, or purposefulness, is not 
limited to intellectual interest but engages his entire 
being. The nature of the experience may determine 
which aspect of life may apparently be most affected, 
but the thoroughness of interest will find expression in 
mental alertness, outward activity, and a satisfaction- 
attitude. Psychologists are agreed that passive experi- 
ence does not educate, but that the value of the process 
is dependent upon the amount of energy intelligently 
put forth to discover and use data in such a way as 
to guarantee that the learner successfully meets the new 
situation. At every stage of the experience he attends 
to what is going on in order to get the most out of it. 
He keeps his goal ever present before him. The experi- 
ence is real and lasting because it is so thoroughly his. 

2. Experience is educative only to the extent to 
which it is psychologically complete-— An analysis of 
the process by which changes are made in the individual 
shows it divided into two elements. On the one hand, 


6 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


the learner or experiencer, met by a new situation, 
senses its stimulus or stimuli. On the other hand, 
if he is to meet it successfully he must make some 
response. Thus he is changed and equipped to live 
satisfactorily in the new world about him only as new 
neurone connections are actually made. Merely know- 
ing that they ought to be made or how they should be 
made, or simply desiring to make them, is not enough. 
The neurone circuit is incomplete. The experience 


unit in which activity is limited to receiving impressions 


is after all a very unsatisfactory experience. The 
impressions lose their force quickly; their meaning is 
never really discovered. But when the new situation 
demands brain activity, or thinking, and when think- 
ing continues until complete adjustment is made to 
the new situation, the unity of the experience gives 
assurance that a lasting change has taken place in the 
learner. There is thus a difference between learning 
about and learning by doing. 

3. That experience is most educative which 1s true 
to life-—If experience is to help the learner face a new 
world of life and meet a changed environment more 
effectively, it is evident that the value must lie in the 
similarity of the experience which he is having to other 
experiences which he must subsequently meet. That 
is, the number of elements in the experience which 
can be carried over to new situations is an important 
measure of its effectiveness. One of the most frequent 
criticisms of our educational system is that it is not 
practical; it is so unlike life. Of recent years many of 
our school subjects have undergone great transforma- 


® 
* 


Wuat Is THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE ? 7 


tion from this angle, for example, spelling. The child 
is led to give his energy to conquering the few hundred 
spelling “demons” which are needed and used by the 
rank and file of folk rather than long lists of unused, 
obsolete, and technical terms. The move to make 
education more practical recurs again and again as 
crystallization of curriculum material begins. This 
means that the educative experience must be like life; 


indeed, it must be taken from life itself. Therefore we ° 


7 


find country children learning arithmetic by figuring * 


farm accounts and city children studying geography 
by seeing at first hand the features of their own sur- 
roundings. All this precludes wasted energy and assures 
transfer approximating completeness because all the 
elements are actually usable in everyday life. 


4. Experience 1s valuable in proportion as it is social * 


or shared.—The world we live in is becoming more and 
more interdependent. We are to live not as isolated 
individuals but as social groups, even world-wide social 
groups. That experience, therefore, which can be of 
use to the largest number, and in which the largest num- 
ber can participate and contribute, is most educative. 
We are all aware of the fact that only as the experience 
of others, especially of those who have gone before us, is 
like ours and communicable to us, can it be utilized. 
Unless we have some basis of interpreting it, little value 
attaches to it. To be socially effective the experience 
of each must be at the disposal of all. Instead of the 
members of a class each striving to learn and to with- 
hold discoveries from others, we find classes becoming 
co-operative social groups organized for specialized 


8 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


attack upon parts of the problem, but united in the 
attempt to produce results which shall prove beneficial 
to all. Society as a whole is utilizing this method of 
co-operative experiencing to obtain new ways of living 
for the entire group. <A people’s legislative service, the 
procedures of legislative bodies with their committees, 
the forum discussion supplementing preaching in our 
churches, and the placing of invention upon a scientific 
basis are evidences of this new trend in the learning 
process. A group by co-operative effort can learn far 
more than individuals struggling selfishly. It is the 
essential outcome of democracy applied to education. 

In setting forth the foregoing criteria nothing has 
been said with regard to the place of the teacher or 
leader in the experience. It would be fitting to say 
that the experience is educative to the degree that it is 
wisely directed by the teacher-leader. But in one sense 
this would be saying all the foregoing over again. For 
good teaching is but utilizing the laws of learning and 
so directing the experience process that the desired 
characteristics of learning are present, namely, pur- 
posefulness, completeness of neurone circuit, practical 
value, and social co-operation. The responsibility 
which rests upon the leader of group experience of this 
type is apparent. The object of this volume, there- 
fore, is to set forth ways and means by which teachers 
in church schools can provide the desirable experiences 
for their children in the realm of religious growth. 

* This does not mean that an individual could not have a 


project at which he worked alone. But even such projects would 
have to be valued in the light of their ultimate social reference. 


WHat Is THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE P 9 


THE CURRICULUM AS SELECTED UNITS 
OF EXPERIENCE 

Having discovered just what experiences are most 
educative when measured by the four criteria above, 
and having presupposed a goal for the society in which 
the educational process is to take place, it is but a step 
to say that the curriculum, more commonly known as 
the course of study, is a series of such experiences as 
will change the immature members of the society into 
members whose ways of thinking and living fit harmo- 
niously into the ways of the group. The ways of the 
group may be viewed as static or growing; if the latter, 
we have the additional problem of providing experiences 
such that constant revision of society’s goal is brought 
about. 

When it comes to a matter of what shall be the 
units of experience, there is a difference of opinion. 
Our traditional division has been in terms of subjects, 
that is, classification of experiences in terms of abstract 
skills and sections of knowledge, such as arithmetic, 
spelling, history, and the like. That is, teaching has 
abstracted from many experiences all the elements or 
aspects which center about figures and placed them in a 
group together; likewise with spelling, history, read- 
ing, civics, religion, and an almost endless number of 
others. As society advances, the curriculum. builders 
are wondering how they will find time to crowd in so 
many subjects. Because of this fact and others which 
will be mentioned later, a search has begun for a new 
unit of experience upon which to build a curriculum. 
Careful study of the educational process along the lines 


IO Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


of the criteria given, together with thorough application 
of the laws of learning, has led to a suggestion from 
many quarters that the units of experience to which 
growing members of society are introduced should not 
be abstract subjects but real life-situations, in which 
subjects or portions of subjects are secondary. ‘This 
new unit has, by common consent, come to be called a 
“project.” A project may be tentatively defined as a : 
single unified experience, utilized because of its social 
values, which can be entered into with a whole-hearted - 
purpose, which is representative of real life-situations, 
and which makes for control of new experiences as they - 
are met. ‘The project principle is the basis of selecting 
and using such experiences, and finds its best exposition 
in the four criteria already discussed. 


TEACHING BY PROJECTS 


Project-teaching is not so much a distinct method in 
contrast with other methods which teachers have used 
as it is a principle.t There is not space here to take up 
in detail the several views of teaching that have been 
prominent in the past century, but it may be safely 
said that the project concept is a natural outgrowth of 


«“The project method is really a principle to be applied. 
. . . . The project method, then, is a point of view rather than 
a procedure.”—J. F. Hosic, ‘‘What is the Project Method ?” 
Journal of Educational Method, 11 (September, 1922), 26-27. 
“The problem-project type of teaching . . . . is not so much a 
method as a point of view, and a point of view within which all 
valuable elements in the older approaches find their place.”— 
“Findings of the Conference on Week-Day Religious Education,” 
Religious Education, XVII (June, 1922), 268. 


WuatT Is THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE ? II 


such doctrines as natural education, apperception, 
transfer, correlation, motivation, self-activity, and 
problem-solving. Each of these has brought us a 
considerable distance in the new direction and, with 
certain modifications and redirections, has made its 
contribution to present-day theory as represented by 
the project concept. Likewise the values represented 
in most of our teaching techniques such as questioning, 
story-telling, drill, objective illustration, socialized 
recitation, and the like, are not lost but are enriched 
by the viewpoint under consideration. More detailed 
suggestions for the use of these techniques in the field © 
of religious education are given in a later chapter. 

As has been said, the theories which have led to 
project-teaching are not of recent invention. The his- 
tory of education reveals to us the fact that even primi- 
tive educational methods were based upon the idea that 
education is life. The little savage learned how to 
live by living. His school was a miniature but real 
portrayal of the life of the more mature members of 
the tribe. There was a reality about the experiences 
which later periods of society seem to have lost. 
Those educational middlemen, the printer and the 
professional teacher, aided by numerous other factors, 
have for centuries removed education from the realm of 
daily life and taken it to the cloistered schoolroom. We 
would not appear ungrateful for the vast benefits of 
these individuals to civilization, but we must admit 
being led away from the beaten path. As long as 
experience could be stored away in orderly fashion in 
printed texts and the notebooks of teachers, it seemed 


12 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


so inconvenient and unnecessary to keep close watch 
upon children and the experiences of the groups in which 
they were living! 

But there has come an insistent demand for a 
restatement of educational principles. Of textbooks 
and new subjects there seems to be no end. We are 
staggered by the vastness of the amount of material 
which we expect each child to digest. It has become 
a question of whether a child is to be expected to have 
every possible experience that has proved more or less 
beneficial to someone in the past or to have a few typical 
‘experiences entered into more. intensively and with 
a feeling of reality. The practical demands of life 
insist that education fit him to carry on a specific task 
and to make a definite contribution to the life of society 
rather than to be efficient in general. Modern democ- 
racy, the new psychology, and the whole field of 
modern science have backed up these demands from 
other quarters.1 The project concept represents the 
answer of many educationists to these combined 
demands. Their faith in the ability of project- 
teaching to give the child the necessary experiences to 
fit him for life is met with doubt in the minds of others. 
Can the project concept make for the motivation of 
drill? Can we be assured that the skills represented 
by our present subject-division of the curriculum will be 
obtained? To these and other questions the project 
advocates answer in the affirmative. 

See W. B. Owen, “The Problem Method,” Journal of 
Educational Method, I (January, 1922), 178-82. 

2\W.H. Kilpatrick, The Project Method, pp. 3-4. 


Wuat Is THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE? 13 


TYPES OF PROJECTS 


If some at this point in the discussion are question- 
ing, “But what is a project?” we may answer in 
the words of Kilpatrick: ‘Projects may present every + 
variety that purposes present in life.”! That is, a 
project is an experience which one has projected or ~ 
purposed to have. The entire range of life itself is | 
included. We purpose and carry out scores of projects 
daily. We buy a suit of clothes, write a letter, read — 
the paper, attend the theater, make repairs about the 
house, entertain our friends at dinner. Every experi- ~ 
ence upon which we consciously and purposefully enter 
is a project. Educationally speaking, projects are con- 
fined to those enterprises which fit the child for life. 
Thus certain undesirable, uneconomical, or superfluous 
experiences are set aside. Of those experiences which 
have positive growth value for the learner, we might - 
make a variety of classifications. Any division made 
will have to be more or less arbitrary. Kilpatrick 
makes a fourfold classification, as follows: 


Type 1, where the purpose is to embody some idea or 
' plan in external form, as building a boat, writing a letter, 
presenting a play; type 2, where the purpose is to enjoy 
some (aesthetic) experience, as listening to a story, hearing a 
symphony, appreciating a picture; type 3, where the pur- 
pose is to straighten out some intellectual difficulty, to solve 
some problem, as to find out whether or not dew falls, to 
ascertain how New York outgrew Philadelphia; type 4, 
where the purpose is to obtain some item or degree of skill 


t Ibid., p. 5. 


14 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


or knowledge, as learning to write grade 14 on the Thorn- 
dike scale, learning the irregular verbs in French. 


An analysis of the basis upon which this classification 
is made would seem to indicate that the first three types 
represent experiences in which the predominant ele- 
ments are doing, feeling, and thinking respectively. 
The remaining type represents what might be called a 
tool-experience in which the learner prepares to fit 
himself to get the most possible out of other experiences 
which he knows he must meet. It is the belief in the 
all inclusiveness of this type of learning that has caused 
us to limit our teaching to subjects, and to overlook 
the fact that a large proportion of skills and knowledge 
is obtained without this digression and drill process 
implied in the type 4 project. When the teacher and 
pupil have the project viewpoint, these direct learning 
projects easily grow out of the other types and take their 
greatest value from the fact that the purpose to use 
such learning in everyday life is keenly felt by the pupil 
and furnishes the drive for study.? 

Such a classification as the foregoing does not pre- 
clude others. We might divide projects into two groups 
/ and label them individual and social, depending upon 
whether or not the individual worked alone or with 
others in initiating and executing his project. Another 
possible grouping might be upon the basis of the 
circles or realms of life in which enterprises are carried 


on. We should then have home projects, play projects, 


1W.H. Kilpatrick, The Project Method, p. 16. 
2 For an illustration in religious education see Descriptions 
Nos. 18 and 35, pp. 215 and 253, Part IL. 


Wuat Is THE PRojEcT PRINCIPLE ? 15 


work projects, civic projects, religious (?) projects, and 
so on without number. Such a grouping is obviously 
difficult. Again we might view these educational 
experiences from the standpoint of their educative 
value as we have indicated earlier in the chapter. 
Although no appreciable gradation can be made, we 
may agree that the term “project” is a relative one. 
Kilpatrick prefers to think of project-experiences as 
being confined to “the upper portions of the scale.” 
The failure to see that there is such a scale and that 
many so-called projects have very little value threatens 
to bring disfavor upon the principle before it is clearly 
understood. ‘There must be a constant endeavor to 
keep the purposeful enterprises in the truly educative 
realm. Another arrangement of projects which is as 
difficult of gradation as the one just preceding is that 
which reveals the fact that some experiences lead the 
learner solely to reproduce the way of life of his own and 
preceding generations while others lead him to build a 
new social order. The significance of this division for 
religious education will be developed in chapters iii 
and iv. 
STEPS IN A PROJECT 

When we analyze what takes place when a project is 
undertaken we find fairly defined stages. Kilpatrick 
gives four, namely, purposing, planning, executing, and » 
judging. Hosic gives six, by dividing the purposing stage 
into the situation which leads to purposing and the for- 
mation of the purpose, and also by dividing the final 
step of judgment into the intellectual aspects of evalu- 
ation and “‘the accompanying feelings of satisfaction 


Pr Ca 


16 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


or dissatisfaction, with the resulting attitude as to 
the future.”! What happens in the execution of a 
project may be roughly described as follows. The 
learner finds himself, or is led into, a situation where 
there is some difficulty or dissatisfaction. His habitual 
ways of doing do not exactly apply. He wants some- 
thing. To obtain that something he must surmount the 
difficulty. He sets before himself what he proposes to 
do. He then proceeds to plan a way out. Having 


_ made a plan, possibly but a vague and tentative one, 


he begins to carry it out. The carrying-through pro- 


" cess may involve a variety of procedures or steps. It 
« may even require the entrance upon and completion 
_ with satisfaction of one or more minor enterprises. It 


may require modifications of his original plan. When 


' the completion of the plan has led to reasonable satis- 


faction, the project may be said to be complete. That 
-is, if the purposer has arrived at the point which he 


desired in his original or modified purpose, he ceases 
execution. He is then ready to move forward to other 
enterprises. He may be but partially satisfied, but feel 
that further effort will produce only diminishing re- 
turns. ‘The degree of satisfaction or dissatisfaction to- 
gether with accompanying ideas gained will determine 
the value of the experience in meeting future situations 
of a similar kind. The important function which the 
teacher-leader performs throughout the entire process 
is at once apparent, although the technique of wise 
guidance must be postponed for later consideration. 


t “The Réle of the Teacher in the Project Method,” Journal 
of Educational Method, II, 157. 


Wuat Is THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE? 17 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Branom, M.E. The Project Method in Education. Badger. 
Coe, George A. Law and Freedom in the School. The Uni- 
versity of Chicago Press. 
Courtis,S. A. ‘‘Teaching Through the Use of Projects,” 
Teachers College Record, XXI (March, 1920), 139-49. 
Dewey, John. Democracy and Education. Macmillan. 
Hosic, J. F. Articles in the Journal of Educational Method, 
Volt? 
“What Is the Project Method?” No. 1, September, 
1922, pp. 23-28. 

“What Is the Project Method? II,” No. 2, October, 
1922, pp. 65-67. 

“Why Study the Project Method ?”’ No. 3, November, 
1922, pp. 116-19. 

“Types of Projects and Their Technique,” No. 7, 
March, 1923, pp. 288-93. 

Kilpatrick, W. H. The Project Method. ‘Teachers College. 

Also author of a series of ten articles upon the subject 

of method in the Journal of Educational Method, Vol. I, 

Nos. 1-10, September, 1921—June, 1922. (The latter 

are excellent for advanced students of education.) 

McMurry, C. A, Teaching by Projects. Macmillan. 
Owen, W. B. “The Problem Method,” Journal of Educa- 

tional Method, I (January, 1922), 178-82. 

Stevenson, J. A. The Project Method of Teaching. 

Macmillan. 

Extensive bibliographies have been compiled by 

Herring, J. P., Teachers College Record, XXI (March, 
1920), 150-74. 

Kerr, W. H., Luther, Jessie, and Hostetter, Anita, 
librarians of Kansas State Normal School, for 
Twentieth Yearbook of the National Society for the 
Study of Education, Part I, pp. 189-221. 


CHAP TERYIT 


THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE IN 
PUBLIC EDUCATION 


A discussion of the extent to which project-teaching 
is prevalent in our public schools is beyond the scope of 
this volume and fruitless for our purpose. We desire 
only to lead the reader to a practical understanding of 
the concept. In the belief that he will derive the most 
benefit from studying actual projects that have been 
carried out, this chapter is limited to such descriptions. 
These are quoted from the Twentieth Yearbook of the 
National Society for the Study of Education, Part I.t 


t (1).2. ‘‘A COLLECTION OF SEEDS FOR SPRING 
PLANTING’? (KINDERGARTEN) 


(Reported by Mrs. Elizabeth Jacobson, 
Minneapolis) 
This project started from the children’s seeing dandelion 
seeds floating about while on an excursion, and led to their 
bringing to kindergarten seeds from their home gardens. 


* Edited by Guy M. Whipple and published by the Public 
School Publishing Company (Bloomington, Illinois, 1921). It 
contains the Second Report of the Society’s Committee on New 
Materials of Instruction and is ‘“‘a collection of two hundred and 
eighty-five projects compiled by the committee with the aid of 
various sub-committees from material submitted by the rep- 
resentatives of numerous school systems.” The writer gratefully 
acknowledges the privilege of quotation granted by the editor 
and publishers. 


2 The numbers in parentheses are the original numbers of the 
descriptions as they appear in the yearbook. 


18 


PuBLIc EDUCATION 19 


The steps in carrying the project forward were: 

1. Converting the baskets they had made into boxes 
with covers in which they could bring their seeds to the 
kindergarten. 

2. The making of boxes of uniform size and shape, and 
of colors selected by themselves, to hold the collection of 
seeds. 

3. The sorting of the seeds, making labels for the boxes, 
and storing them away for the spring planting. 

This led to the collection of milkweed pods, rose hips, 
cat-tails, and many other kinds of seeds, which were used 
to decorate the room. 


2 (25). “A KITE TOURNAMENT” (FIRST GRADE) 


(Reported by Aschah May Harris, 
Emporia, Kansas) 


The making of kites this spring, which started in the 
‘““Free-Choice Room,” led to a kite tournament. The result 
was that every child in the primary department made a 
kite. Honors were given to the child making the largest 
kite that would fly and the smallest kite that would fly, 
also to the one making the prettiest kite, and the kite that 
would sail the highest in five minutes. The children selected 
their own judges and invited them to assist in the tourna- 
ment. They wrote their notes of invitation. 

Work that grew out of this project was as follows: 


@) READING FOR INFORMATION 


Our Little Japanese Cousin 

When I was a Boy in China 
Home-made Toys for Boys and Girls 
Har per’s Outdoor Book for Boys 
Child Life in Japan 


20 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


b) READING FOR INSPIRATION AND APPRECIATION 


Stevenson, ‘‘The Wind” 

Rossetti, ‘‘Who Has Seen the Wind ?” 

Steadman, “‘What the Winds Bring” 

Aesop, ‘‘The Wind and the Sun” 

Bailey, “‘The Windmill” 

“The Foolish Weather Vane” 

“The Little Half Chick,’ from Kansas Second Reader 
“The Windmill,” from Elson-Runkle Primer 
““Ulysses and the Bag of Winds” 


¢) LANGUAGE, WRITING, AND SPELLING 
Dramatization of the Wind and the Sun (first grade) 
Writing quotations that have been memorized (second 
and third grades) 
Invitations to judges 
“The Work of the Wind” 
Story Made by the I B reading class 


“T have a kite. 
I made my kite. 
It is a red kite. 
I can fly my kite. 
See the pretty kite fly.” 


d) SINGING 

Knowlton’s Nature Songs for Children (‘‘ March Wind’’) 

Normal Institute and Primary Plans, March, 1920 
(“The March Wind’’) 

Primary Education, March, 1918 (‘‘I Should Like to 
Be a Kite’’) 

€) HANDWORK 

Making kites—two-piece frames and three-piece frames 

Decorating kites with birds, butterflies, etc., calling for 
free choice in selection of colors, careful paper-cutting, 
pasting, etc. 


PuBLIC EDUCATION 21 


Chapel programs, using the wind songs, poems, stories, 
and rhythm work 


f) NUMBER WORK 


Measuring string, sticks for frames 
Kite sales (playing store) 


3 (46). “A HEALTH CODE” (SECOND GRADE) 


(Reported by Jessie G. Kennedy, Kansas City, 
Missouri) 


The day after the coming of the Health Exhibit to our 
school for language we talked about Miss Brown’s visit, 
each one telling what interested him most. After a number 
had said ‘‘We must do this” and ‘“‘mustn’t do that,” I asked 
them if they would like to make their own health rules. 
They wanted very much to do it. 

Then some one suggested that we make posters of them, 
like Miss Brown’s. To the question, ‘‘Where will we get 
pictures to illustrate them ?” one little girl said, ‘I saw in a 
magazine a picture of an open window; we could let that 
tell us to keep our windows open at night.”’ Others thought 
of pictures they could bring. 

That afternoon the first picture was brought by a little 
boy whom I hadn’t before been able to interest in anything. 
As he handed it to me, he said, “‘ That picture tells us to go 
to bed early.”” He was one who had been accustomed to 
spend as many nights at the picture show as he could get 
nickels to pay his admittance. As each picture was brought, 
the class decided whether it was suitable for a health rule, 
and then we made the rule. 

Of course, a number of the pictures that were brought 
could not be used. If they disagreed with what the “‘ Health 
Lady” taught, they were at once discarded. We spent 
several weeks in planning for the posters. 


22 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


During this time all the writing period was spent in 
writing the health rules. We also took all of our spelling 
words in the second grade from this source. We used the 
language and hygiene periods in talking about our pictures 
and making all our plans. In the handwork period the 
pictures were cut out and mounted. The cutting of the 
letters for the folder was part of our art work for the month. 
(The children used half-inch ruled paper, but we found the 
letters too large to use, so the teacher made the letters and 
the children colored them.) 

Many new words were added to their reading vocabu- 
lary, as the rules made one day must be read the next day 
before they were used for writing. We also had a number of 
supplementary reading lessons on the board with our health 
project forits basis. I also found a number enjoying reading 
a few health stories we had on our reading table. 

Before we took up this work the health lesson seemed 
something foreign to the children, but while we were doing 
it and afterward, it seemed a part of them. Often the first 
thing in the morning and afternoon session, they would 
say, ‘I did a healthrule; I brushed my teeth.” “I washed 
my hands before eating.” “I drank milk for breakfast.’ 
‘“‘T ate something green for lunch.”’ 

Working out the health project was not only a very 
pleasant and profitable school experience, but I am sure the 
lesson learned will stay with the children and carry over 
into their everyday lie. 


4 (53). “DOING SOMETHING FOR A SICK 
CLASSMATE”’ (SECOND GRADE) 


(Reported by Lucia M. Densmore, 
Ypsilanti, Michigan) 
A few weeks ago a little boy in our room met with a 
serious accident which necessitated his removal to the 


PuBLic EDUCATION 23 


hospital at once. As his seat was vacant the next morning, 
we began a ‘“‘conversation” about this absence—why he 
was not in school, etc. I stated briefly, without going into 
detail, the reason he was not there, telling the children Glen 
would not be with us for several weeks, as the accident was 
serious. 

Then followed several questions. ‘‘What can we do 
for him while he is away ?”? ‘“‘What do you think he would 
like to have us do?” ‘What would he enjoy most 2” 

These questions were answered quickly by the children 
as follows: ‘‘We could make picture books.” ‘‘We could 
write him a letter.” ‘‘We could send fruit and flowers.” 
“We could send toys.” 

As a result, apples, grapes, pears, oranges, and flowers 
have come in abundance. These we arranged tastily in 
boxes and sent to him with a little written message suggested 
by the children. They have also written a letter, made 
picture books, pages of which were their own drawings, 
illustrating stories. Other books have been made of paper 
cuttings. 

By letting two or three sit at a small table which is in the 
corner of our room, the children have made several toys for 
him—among them boats, wagons, baskets and aeroplanes. 

This project will ‘“‘carry on” several weeks, as some of 
the children are just beginning their activities. All are 
eager to do something. 


5 (57). “‘MAKING THE SCHOOL GARDEN PAY” 
(THIRD GRADE) 


(Reported by Ellice E. Burk, Cleveland, Ohio) 


The seeds for the garden were provided by the school 
and the garden was a class project. The children did all 
the work with the exception of plowing. When the vege- 
tables were ready for the market, the class was divided into 


24 THe PRojEcT PRINCIPLE 


committees, each one having a particular responsibility, 
such as keeping in touch with the market prices, soliciting 
customers or delivering goods. At regular intervals the 
crops were harvested, weighed, measured, put in bags with 
labels attached giving quantity, prices, and names of cus- 
tomers. The arithmetic lesson for that day consisted in 
finding out how much the sales amounted to and of keeping 
the record in good form. A strict account was kept, and 
at the end of the season, after paying back the amount 
advanced for seeds, the class had a nice little sum which was 
spent in buying some much-desired apparatus. 


6 (68). “A STUDY OF KANSAS CITY’’ (FOURTH GRADE) 
(Reported by Floy Campbell, Kansas City) 


For six weeks the topic in geography was Kansas City. 
After considering all the textbook had to give on the subject, 
each child took one local activity (manufacture, organized 
charity, former inhabitants of place, etc.), and found out all 
he could about that one subject. When the topic allowed, 
the child made a Saturday visit to the manufacturing plant 
or office he was studying, and reported to the class all that 
he saw or learned. He reported on his topic in the class, 
wrote a theme on it, made a slogan, which he lettered, with 
or without illustration, on a large piece of cardboard, and 
designed and made a costume that would express the 
especial character of his investigations. For instance, the 
child who reported on newspapers made his costume of daily 
papers. The child who reported on the care of the old and 
poor wore a cap, spectacles, a shawl, and walked with a 
cane. ‘They tacked their posters on long poles, and, in their 
costumes, marched through the school halls, and around the 
block, to the great enjoyment of the class, the very vivid 
interest of the school at large, and the edification of the 
neighbors. We had a photograph made of the procession. 


PuBLic EDUCATION 25 


In addition to the study of local geography, the project 
was of great social value, gave excellent work in reading, 
writing, oral language, lettering, and design. 


7 (72). “IRON ORE—FROM MINNESOTA TO 
YOUNGSTOWN” (FOURTH GRADE) 
(Reported by Virginia Mariner, Youngstown, Ohio) 

As Youngstown is one of the great steel centers of the 
world, iron ore seemed to us a peculiarly suitable project 
around which to build geography work. The children were 
first sent to the mills to secure iron ore with which they filled 
a large sand table. They were given a description of the 
iron mines of the Mesaba range of northern Minnesota. 
Using the sand table, they modeled in succession shaft 
mines, open-pit mines, the Mesaba range itself, the railroad 
leading to Duluth, the docks at Duluth, the loading machin- 
ery (made with a steel “Constructo” set), wooden boats, the 
Great Lakes, the locks of the “Soo” canal, the docks at 
Cleveland, the railroad connection at Youngstown, and 
finally a blast furnace. Meanwhile, a blackboard map of the 
Great Lakes region was developed day by day connecting 
up the story as shown through the models. The teacher 
merely provided the outline and organized the material. 
In the actual work itself the children were allowed to use 
their own initiative. Socialized recitations were carried on 
and papers were also prepared by the pupils, thus correlating 
the work with English. 


8 (78). “VISITING OUR FRENCH ORPHAN”’ 
(FOURTH GRADE) 
(Reported by Florence Jelly, State Normal 
College, Ypsilanti, Michigan) 
This project originated in the question: ‘‘What can we 
do for Michael this winter?’ (Michael is our French 


26 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


orphan. He lives near the Vosges Mountains.) The 
children decided to go and visit Michael, to tell him what 
they are doing and relate to him the experiences of their 
journey. 

There were instituted inquiries about railroad and 
steamship rates. Then we set up a bank, using toy money, 
and drew this money from the bank for tickets and spend- 
ing money. There was a ticket office for buying tickets, 
and we converted American money into francs. 

Business letters were written to Mr. C. F. Leidich 
(Detroit) for information regarding ocean trip, followed by 
‘‘Thank you” letters for the information. The children 
selected the letter to be sent in each case. 

After a visit in Paris, the children sent letters home to 
the first-grade teacher telling of their experiences thus far. 
The organization of material for oral reports and places 
visited and things seen included: 


Eastern United States 
Important cities passed through on train 
Character of country—mountains, plains, etc. 
Rivers crossed 
Erie Canal 
New York City 
Crossing ocean 
Weather conditions 
Study of sea life 
France (compared with America) 
Character of land, customs of people, occupations, etc. 
Visit with Michael at his home 
Trip home by southern route 


Finally, there was a general discussion, on our return 
home, of what we had seen and done and what we would do 
differently if we went another time. 


PUBLIC EDUCATION 27 


9 (112). “LIFE IN A LUMBER CAMP” 
(FIFTH GRADE) 


(Reported by Tippa Coleman, Louisville Normal 
School, Louisville, Kentucky) 


In connection with the study of lumbering the class 
asked to be permitted to go to the woods for a day and live 
the life of the lumbermen. They divided themselves into 
groups, with a chairman for each group. Their object was 
to plan the day, with the activities as nearly as possible like 
those of a lumber camp. One group planned the lunch, 
one the games to be played, and one worked on the things 
that should be observed while they were in the woods. 
Much reading was done while planning the trip. Charts 
were made showing the products from trees, forest scenes, 
forest animals, and lumber camps. The day of the trip 
happened to come during fire-prevention week; a camp 
fire was built for cooking the lunch, and the children 
observed how easily it could spread and the difficulty of 
putting it out. The children were.asked to give a demon- 
stration lesson that would show what they had learned. 
They wrote and gave a one-act play showing the life in a 
lumber camp. 


10 (164). “WRITING A CLASS CREED” 
(SIXTH GRADE) 


(Reported by Josephine E. Maloney, Milwaukee 
Normal School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 


Different creeds were read to the class by the teacher. 
The meaning of a creed was discussed by the class. The 
teacher asked the children if they would like to write a class 
creed of theirown. At first it seemed quite an undertaking, 
but they thought they would like to try. The following 


28 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


day each one was to bring a suggestion that would be help- 
ful in writing the creed. The next day the suggestions were 
given, and what the creed ought to stand for was discussed. 
It was decided that each member of the class would write a 
creed, and then a vote would be taken to decide which one 
was best.. This one was to be accepted as the ‘Class 
Creed.” The following one, written by Dorothy Morgan, 
was chosen: 


A CLASS CREED 


I believe in Class Spirit—the foundation of all motives 
in school life. 

I believe that success and achievement are only obtained 
by class and school unity, co-operation, and team work. 

I acknowledge that to be a member of a progressive and 
worth-while class, I must attend to myself only—not to 
others. 

I believe that it is the little things of life, done well, that 
fit us to accomplish greater things when the opportunity 
comes. 

I believe that each individual of this class should 
set a good example, that the boys and girls to come may 
find it worth their while to follow, so they may be good 
citizens. 


When the creed was reread after the voting, one of the 
boys who liked to print volunteered, for his work during 
free periods, to print a copy of the creed on a large sheet of 
paper, to tack up in the front of the room. He did such a 
splendid piece of work that when it was finished the class 
suggested that it ought to be framed, so it was taken to the 
manual-training room, where with the help of the manual- 
training teacher it was very artistically framed. It now 
hangs in the most conspicuous place in our room. 


PuBLIC EDUCATION 20 


11 (194). “A CIVICS CLUB”’ (JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL) 


(Reported by Ida von Donhoff, Monsarrat 
School, Louisville, Kentucky) 


Each class formed itself into a civics club, electing its 
own officers and committees. Two delegates were chosen 
to represent each class, and these delegates constituted the 
Civics Conference, or governing body. At the preliminary 
meeting of the conference they chose their officers and 
chairmen of committees. Among others, a welfare com- 
mittee and complaint committee were formed. Suggestions 
for improvements were submitted to the chairman of the 
welfare committee; complaints were submitted to the chair- 
man of the complaint committee. The president of the 
conference selected members of the conference for yard and 
hall duty. At the end of each week a different group was 
selected for this work. Reports of their work were sub- 
mitted to the conference at each meeting. The delegates 
of the various classes reported to the home class the matters 
of importance that came before the conference. Those 
who broke the laws adopted by the conference and ratified 
by the various classes were warned by the officers on duty, 
and if a continued lack of co-operation was evidenced the 
offender was brought before the conference and given a 
trial by jury. We have especially emphasized the impor- 
tance of the rights of others, the care of school property, 
the safety of all while on the playgrounds, and cleanliness 
and order in halls, rooms, and yard. 

A spirit of mutual helpfulness, pride in the school, and 
efficiency in self-government were evidenced by the enthusi- 
asm with which the children have taken up affairs where we 
dropped them at the end of last term. Through our Civics 
Conference our school is becoming unified in thought and 
action. 


30 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


12 (217). “A STAY-IN-SCHOOL CAMPAIGN”’ 
(JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL) 


(Reported by Jessie M. Law, 
Springfield, Massachusetts) 


This experimental class was composed of lads who had 
found the conventional high-school subjects so difficult that 
they had failed in one or more and were obliged to stay an 
additional half-year in the junior high school. The boys, 
however, furnish the best kind of material for a group with 
which to discuss live problems, because in the capacity of 
newsboys, errand boys in large factories, or telegraph 
messenger boys, they had come in contact with the business 
world and were more worldly wise than their teacher upon 
certain business tactics. Among the subjects considered 
were dignity of labor, conservation, and the H.C.L., business 
ethics, capital and the trusts, labor and the unions, 
co-operation and profit-sharing, personal and family budgets, 
public office, and the franchise. The project method was 
pursued throughout the semester. 

In the spring of 1920, Springfield, Massachusetts, con- 
ducted a ‘‘Stay-in-School” campaign by movies, pamphlet 
propaganda, sermons, and lectures. The class chose this 
campaign as asubject of study. In order to eliminate snap- 
shot judgments each boy was given the following questions 
upon which to ponder over night: 


. Why do boys of fourteen leave school ? 

. What places are open to boys of fourteen to sixteen ? 
. What work is open to senior high school graduates ? 
. What positions await college graduates ? 

. What must a boy consider in choosing his life-work ? 


wn B&B Wb H 


The lads knew perfectly the motives which led their 
mates to leave school. The chief one was the lure of high 


PuBLic EDUCATION 31 


wages, they all agreed. They believed that in some cases 
the money was actually needed by the family, but they felt 
that in many instances the boy wished more spending money 
forrecreation. More than one of the class thought there was 
a distinct advantage in starting early to learn such a trade 
as printing or plumbing. ‘The teacher at this point got the 
class to discussing the dangers of ‘‘dead alley” jobs. One 
lad ventured the opinion that some fellows found school 
prosy, but honest expression brought out the fact that this 
particular group found in the curriculum rather more oases 
than plain desert sand. In the consideration of the openings 
for the high-school graduate, the old platitude that the lad 
of eighteen has to start upon the same earning basis as the 
grammar-school boy was brought up. Fortunately, Dr. 
Peixotto’s tests of the New York situation furnished ade- 
quate answer as to the earning capacity of the comparative 
groups. When the class arrived at the discussion of the 
managerial and professional work open to college graduates, 
the boys took fire. Like Caesar, they were all ‘‘ambitious.”’ 
Each man saw himself a future Rosenwald or a Dr. Mayo. 
The training necessary for expert work was considered 
from the standpoint of kind of work, time, money, and 
effort. Then the members of the class swung very naturally 
into this line of thought: “‘What must I consider in choosing 
my life-work?” The discussion evolved these points: 
training for future ability rather than for immediate com- 
pensation, the joy of doing a thing well, better standards of 
living, thrift, service to the community. These recitations 
were punctuated by illustrations of such personal nature — 
that they would never have passed the censor and in a 
vernacular that would have shocked the purist. 

Of course, the obvious criticism of this whole lesson is 
that it is an inadequate treatment of so large a subject, but 
the answer is that several lads admitted to their principal 


a2 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


that they had remained in school because of this same course 
in ‘social economics.” 


13 (225). “‘A SUPPLEMENTARY TEXT FOR 
COMMUNITY CIVICS”? (JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL) 


(Reported by Sarah Mark Imboden, 
Decatur, Illinois) 


A text for use in home geography has been written by 
the pupils in Grades V—VIII, inclusive, of the schools of 
Decatur, Illinois. The book contains eleven chapters of 
192 pages. The Table of Contents is: 


I. History of Decatur 
II. Decatur as an Educational Center 
III. Institutional Decatur 
IV. Industrial Decatur 
V. Decatur’s Transportation Facilities 
VI. Public Buildings 
VII. Churches and Civic Organizations 
VIII. Decatur Department Stores 
IX. Government of Decatur 
X. Beautiful Decatur 
XI. Future of Decatur 


The information was gained through observation, 
study, and research. Where it was impracticable to visit a 
factory, the necessary data were gotten by the pupils by 
writing letters to the heads of concerns, listing questions 
that they wished answered, or, as in many cases, inviting the 
person to talk to them. In many classes English and 
geography were thus motivated for a period of three months. 
All of the art work, which includes cover design and tail- 
pieces to chapters, was done by the pupils of the junior high 
school. One hundred copies were also hand-bound by the 
same pupils. Two thousand copies of the book were pub- 


PuBLIC EDUCATION 33 


lished at the cost of $1,300. In a vigorous four-day cam- 
paign, 1,200 copies were sold to children, parents, and 
citizens at $0.75 per copy. 


14 (257). “THE BULLETIN BOARD” (JUNIOR 
HIGH SCHOOL) 


(Reported by J. L. Burns, Boston, Massachusetts) 


One noon a boy came to me early and said: “Eight of 
us boys from the class belong to a club at the church and we 
want a bulletin board. Could we make one? Of course 
we want to pay for the lumber.” I said, “Yes, if you will 
do it all.” And before they were through, they discovered 
that doing it all meant more than paying for the value of 
the lumber and the actual work of making the board. 

The first question that came up was: What kind of 
lumber should they use? This meant a study of the differ- 
ent kinds and the kinds best suited for individual things. 
Then they became curious about where these trees grew, 
and their geographies were consulted. Some wondered 
what the ‘‘sweet gum” and the “‘tulip” trees were like, and 
these went to the nature books. 

One boy found it convenient to go to the lumber yard 
to inquire the price of two or three kinds of lumber and he 
returned with his mind full of things he had seen and of 
expressions he had heard with which he was unfamiliar. 
After his report, the boys began reading up about the process 
of logging and milling and inquiring the meaning of ‘“‘board 
feet,” “dressed” and ‘‘rough” lumber, and other expres- 
sions he had brought back with him. 

There was a real live lesson in arithmetic when they 
determined how many board feet they needed, and another 
in composition when they wrote out their order to the dealer, 
in a business-like letter. 


34 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Then the problems in proportion, contour, printing, and 
spacing were solved by the aid of their instruction in draw- 
ing and manual training. 

They wanted each boy to do the ve on the board that 
he could do better than anyone else, so that they might have 
a fine board, and the zeal exhibited every day in thoughtful, 
careful work was very great, for each wanted to show 
what a good workman he was. 

The result of their labors was finally borne away in 
triumphal procession, not to be the possession of any one 
boy, but a prized possession of the whole club—a thought 
which in itself made its slight contribution to good 
citizenship. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Additional descriptions of project-teaching are to be 

found in 

Francis W. Parker School Yearbooks, Nos. 3-6. Chicago. 

*Journal of Educational Method. Yonkers, New York: 
World Book Co. 

*Sample Projects, Series I and II. Edited by J. F. Hosic, 
Teachers College, New York City. 

*Twentieth Yearbook, Part I. Guy M. Whipple, Editor. 
Published by Public School Publishing Company, 
Bloomington, Ill. 


The references given at the close of chapter i are also 
valuable for study in connection with this chapter. 


* A selected list of project descriptions from these sources 
which are specially suggestive for Christian education is found — 
in Part III, Appendix, Section I, of this volume. 


CHAP PER ELIT 
EDUCATION FOR CHARACTER 


WHAT IS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION P 


We may tentatively define the term religious educa- 
tion as the process of developing character in accordance 
with certain religious ideals, the nature of the ideal 
varying with the particular type of religion which one 
has in mind. Christian education sets up as a goal the 
development of character which harmonizes with the 
Christian ideal both within the individual and the social 
order. 

The more immediate means which are used to carry 
on this process differ. Some religious educators stress 
emotional changes; others the intellectual understand- 
ing of various kinds of sacred literature and their 
interpretation. Practically all agree that the ultimate 
goal is the living of a Christian life by the individual. 
Most of them would add also that the building of a 
Christian world-order is equally important. They are 
divided, however, as to how it is to come about. Some 
assert that it will come as a consequence of changing 
individual characters; others that the Christianizing of 
institutions brings about Christian living by the 
individuals belonging to them. An increasing number 
take the stand that both ways are true, since they are 
but two phases of a single unified process. 


35 


36 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


It is unnecessary and fruitless to enter here into any 
lengthy discussion in an attempt to define religious 
education. Definitions have but suggestive value and 
act only as working bases. Later statements in this 
volume will enrich the term as its meaning is compre- 
hended by the author. 


THE CHARACTER AIM IN ALL EDUCATION 


More and more it is becoming apparent that all 
education must bear fruit in character. While still 
emphasizing the cultural aim so long the outstanding 
goal of education in general, and not unmindful of the 
aim to fit the child for earning a living which has 
become so prominent an objective of recent years, the 
public school at the present time is increasingly thought 
of as an agency of character-development. The view 
is held that these several objectives and others which 
might be named also are not mutually exclusive. 
Certainly it is true that character as a goal should and 
can be kept before the educator while he seeks to train 
with other results in mind. When it is a matter of 
evaluating outcomes, there are many who say that the 
most worth-while product of the educational process is 
that one which we call character. 

The definition of character as the way one meets 
all life-situations implies that the kind of character one 
possesses depends upon how past situations have been 
met. Our past choices, then, in the total make us 
what we are at the present time. Every experience 
makes its contribution good or bad to character. If, 
as we have seen in the first chapter, education is the 


EDUCATION FOR CHARACTER 37 


conscious control of experience, character as a product 
inherent in that experience should be taken into account 
by the teacher, 

The whole matter has been brought before us in 
America during the past few decades as never before 
in our history. As new peoples with varied cultures 
came to us we became aware of the fact that they must 
be trained in our way of living. The task of educating 
those within our borders to fit into our national ideals, 
culture, or mores we call Americanization. This use of 
public education to develop nationalism has become a 
conscious policy of civilized nations during the past 
century and is now the method used by practically every 
government. Regardless of the means and methods 
which are to be used it is evident that the development 
of a character in accordance with the American ideal 
is the avowed task of every public school. 

We thus find two institutions, the church and the 
state, in the field of education for character. Religious 
education has from the beginning had this objective. 
Now that public education is conscious of the impor- 
tance of the character-building task we have both types 
of education at work in the same field. Is there need 
for both? Ifso, is it because neither working alone has 
the strength or resources? Or is there some division 
of the field which gives to religious education a distinct 
place, and what is that place ? 


THE DISTINCTIVE TASK OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 


A more careful examination of the task of character- 
formation shows three possible types of work in which 


38 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


religious education may engage. In the first place, it 
may take a stand to reinforce and back up the moralities 
and ways of living taught by state schools. It may 
thus act as sponsor to public education. In the second 
place, it may actually engage in citizenship training, 
doing a portion of the work as suggested above. In the 
third place, it may do that portion of the task which the 
public school cannot do. By its very nature the morals 
or character standards set up as the objective of public 
education represent the majority opinion. History 
shows that new standards or ideals are constantly seek- 
ing expression. At first these are held only by the few, 
the minority. Minority views are not always true and 
may rightly fail to win general acceptance, but for the 
sake of growth there is an increasing tendency to allow 
them to be freely discussed in a democracy in order to 
test their worth. The story of religion in general and 
of Christianity in particular bears witness to the fact 
that its greatest contribution to civilization has been 
its prophetic insistence upon new expressions of the law 
of love. Religious education, therefore, may stand 
for ideals not yet realized, it may criticize existing 
standards even as taught in the public school and call 
society to higher and higher levels of living. In this 
portion of the field of character-development, religious 
education must work alone, but should glory in the 
privilege. Says Coe: 

Therefore to the question, What specific contribution to 
training for citizenship have we a right to expect from reli- 
gious education ? the answer is: This above all—Habituat- 
ing the young to judge all social relations, processes, and ’ 


EDUCATION FOR CHARACTER 39 


institutions, the state included, from the standpoint of the 
command, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’’! 


Since the church enjoys its freedom to teach because 
of the liberties granted in a democratic state, it is but 
natural that the church should give authority to the 
character standards which the public school seeks to 
set up. ‘There is a minority whose standards are in 
disagreement with the standard of the state, not because 
they are moving forward, but because they are holding 
back. ‘These are compelled to adopt the accepted ways 
by force of law.2, The church here can be of assistance 
as a teacher of obedience to law. At this point, how- 
ever, there is need of discrimination, for not all state 
moralities are above criticism. But in general, religious 
education has a great privilege in reinforcing existing 
character standards. This reinforcement may at times 
be of such a nature that the church should take over a 
portion of the task. When crises or waves of immoral- 
ity occur it is well that the church step into the breach 
to keep the social order from retrogressing. When a 
new standard has been adopted by society, such as that 
which has found expression in the Eighteenth Amend- 
ment, it behooves the church to stand by and actually 
carry on teaching until it has become firmly imbedded 
in the social code. This second type of work in char- 
acter-education offers a worthy challenge to the church. 

t “Religious Education and Political Conscience.’”’ See 
reference list at close of chapter. 


2 Even though such compulsion may avail little in changing 
the character of those compelled, the danger of the lower code 
dragging others down is greatly diminished. 


40 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Important as these two types of work may be, how- 
ever, they should not bedim the vision of religious 
educators so that they fail to see the largest and most 
significant aspect of their call to service. Ifa criticism 
were to be offered it is to the effect that too many of our 
leaders conceive their task as confined to reinforcing 
public ethics and sharing in the teaching of American 
citizenship. Textbooks designed to teach Christian 
citizenship often fail to suggest any higher standard 
than that which is already being taught in the public- 
school system with remarkable effectiveness, although 
under another label. While not belittling the value of 
such character-building, it seems that the time is ripe 
for stressing the call to come up higher. 

Turning from the aims of religious education to the 
selection of projects whereby they are to be fulfilled, we 
may lay down a general principle. Our task as educa- 
tors, seeking to build Christian character, is to lead the 
child through a series of such experiences, or to engage 
in such projects, as will develop in him the attitude, 
knowledge, and capacity to meet coming life-situations 
in the spirit and way of Christ. Having made such 
purposes and carried them out in accordance with the 
Christian spirit in. each project-experience, and having 


. found the way satisfactory, he becomes increasingly 


better fitted to face new situations as a Christian. 

It is unnecessary to suggest the kind of project 
which will provide Christian experiences in those phases 
of religious education described as reinforcing or shar- 
ing in the task of public education. The projects 
described in chapter ii, particularly those classified as 


EDUCATION FOR CHARACTER AI 


civics or citizenship projects, are sufficiently clear. It 
will be noted also that a number described in Part II of 
this volume are characteristic of these phases. There 
are various ways of enlarging the Christian education 
value of projects of this nature. In a project in which 
the leader’s aim is the revaluation of existing standards 
and ways of living there is opportunity to utilize many 
sub-projects as means to the larger end. For example, 
if a teacher were to lead his pupils to build a pageant 
setting forth the idea that the Pilgrim Fathers, if living 
today, would be the minority prophets of new social and 
Christian ideals, he could utilize much material involved 
in pageants put on by history and civics classes in the 
public school. Sub-projects of poster-making, adver- 
tising, making costumes, etc., apart from the larger 
purpose would have little Christian education value, 
but when linked up to the larger purpose are justified as 
materials of religious education. Again enterprises 
engaged in by public education may be approached from 
the Christian viewpoint. To discover a Christian 
attitude toward the public press or to choose one’s life- 
work as a Christian are illustrative. Here, too, it is the 
interpretation and manner of use which gives the 
experience its educative value from the standpoint of 
religious education. 

While it is thus evident that it is difficult to draw 
a sharp line of demarcation around those projects which 
have been referred to as solely within the scope of 
Christian education, it is well to keep the distinction in 
mind and seek to have children engage in enterprises 
at this end of the scale. To arrange experiences so as 


A 


42 THE PRoject PRINCIPLE 


to produce an attitude of dissatisfaction with present 
attainments both individual and social, to develop the 
purpose to build a new social order, more thoroughly 
Christian, to stimulate habits of thinking as to why and 
how there may be more “intelligent, active good will”’ 
in the world, to build into the nervous structure of the 
individual and into the accustomed ways of mankind 
yet undiscovered types of loving service, this is the 


- distinctive task of the Christian educator. We might 


not only set our children to work upon the projects 
which will teach peace as an ideal ‘‘devoutly to be 
wished”’ but provide actual experiences of international 
and interracial understanding and helpfulness such as 
are abundantly offered in the daily life of almost every 
community. Having become accustomed to living 
and working together as children, there is a far greater 
likelihood that the next generation will devise the 
practical means for a world-federation. Scores of 
project-experiences centering about the obtaining of 
industrial good will seek entrance to our church- 
school curricula. Constructive justice projects might 
well replace giving on the level of remedial philan- 
thropy. Church schools should be occupying the 
frontiers in the discovery of the better day for human 
society. 


METHODS OF CHARACTER-DEVELOPMENT 


Having made division of the ground that is common 
to both public education and religious education and 
having found a very distinct task for the latter, we may 
well turn again to the process of character-development 


EDUCATION FOR CHARACTER 43 


and see what methods are available. We find the 
advocates of education for character separated into 
two schools. Those who favor “direct’? methods 
would have classes in citizenship ethics and morals, 
use textbooks, stress the learning of principles, and the 
like. Those who take a stand for ‘indirect’? methods 
find in every school situation an opportunity for a 
lesson, have less use for texts, stress the right way of 
meeting every concrete situation in which a question of 
character is involved, and teach more informally.t The 
trend of method has been in favor of the latter. Its 
advocates hold that character is an associated response 
inherently bound up with every experience. It there- 
fore cannot be ‘‘made” apart from a real situation. 
If a certain type of character is sought it must be 
thought of as a by-product, but nevertheless an exceed- 
ingly important element, in every experience, and care- 
ful plans must be made that a right way of living grows _ 
out of the experience. In character education, there- 
fore, the central response, in the mind of the teacher, is 
the kind of life-attitude and habits resulting, although 
the child is of course centering his attention on getting 
his arithmetic, winning the ball game, or what not. 
A certain pastor said that he always made it a point to * 
accompany the boys of his town when they went away 
to play ball in order to be on hand when character- 
making crises arose. 

For the most part our progressive leaders in public 
education are exponents of the indirect method. 


*For a more extended differentiation see Coe, A Social 
‘Theory of Religious Education, pp. 190 ff. 


44 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Recent reactions toward the formal teaching of morals, 
ethics, or even religion in the public schools are due to 
a feeling that the situation is critical and that the easiest 
and most obvious way is to provide a course and drill 
upon the principles. The more far-sighted educators, 
however, expect little from such facile ways of character- 
development. The administration of the Gary schools 
holds that every activity of the entire system is pro- 
ductive of American ideals and American type of citi- 
zenship. While there are courses in citizenship and 
English to serve obvious purposes, the social inter- 
action provided in dancing classes, receptions, concerts, 
gymnasium classes, and countless other activities both 
social and intellectual makes for growth of character in 
the desired direction. The total school program is 
viewed as building character and is so planned. 

The public-school subject, if it may be so called, 
which is most akin to religious education is that of 
civics or citizenship. The constant tendency in this 
field of making good Americans has been away from 
direct to more indirect methods. Less attention is 
paid to formal memorizing of constitutional provisions 
and more to having the children experience as whole- 
heartedly as possible the real duties and joys of citizen- 
ship. Organization of health societies, parliamentary 
meetings, school government societies, traffic brigades, 
and the like whose members do real work and 
co-operate with older citizens in the task of govern- 
ment, suggest the new viewpoint. The educational 
magazines and bulletins are replete with descriptions of 
both project-teaching plans and projects actually 


EDUCATION FOR CHARACTER 45 


carried through with the goal of citizenship training.' 
The tendency was greatly strengthened by the organiza- 
tion of the Junior Red Cross in the schools during the 
war. 

If religious educators are to move in the general 
direction of the project principle to which indirect 
methods of character-training are so vitally related, it 
means that we must make more of the real live Chris- 
tian enterprises which the church is carrying on as the 
material of instruction. In their association with their 
elders in the task of building a more Christian world, 
children are provided with countless experiences where 
Christian character is being formed. More conscious 
attention should be paid to these actual birthplaces of 
ideals than we have given in the past. Many say that 
Christianity could not have been taught the past 
generation had we not had on hand the tasks of missions 
and temperance. It is easy to see that a church which 
is not sharing in the building of a more loving world 
cannot teach its children Christianity. The axiom that 
“Character is caught, not taught,”’ has a richness of 
meaning, provided we can understand and utilize the 
fellowship process as a method of character-formation.’ 


tSee bulletins of the United States Bureau of Education, 
Civic Training through Service, by Arthur W. Dunn (Teachers’ 
Leaflet No. 8, June, 1920) and Lessons in Civics for the Six 
Elementary Grades, by Hannah M. Harris (Bulletin No. 18, 1920); 
also the first reference in the bibliography of this chapter. 

2Note the proviso. Cf. Coe, A Social Theory of Religious 
Education, pp. 76-84. 


46 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Cheney, Blanche A. “The Lawrence Plan of Citizenship,” 
Journal of Educational Method, 11 (November, 1922— 
April, 1923). (The fifth article by Alma McCrum.) 

Coe, George A. “Religious Education and Political Con- 
science,’ Teachers College Record, XXIII (September, 
1922), 297-304. Also in Religious Education, XVII 
(December, 1922), 430-35. 

A Social Theory of Religious Education, chaps. 

vii, xiv, and pp. 264-65. Scribners. 

Law and Freedom in the School. The University 
of Chicago Press. 

Davis, Jesse B. ‘The Iowa plan of Character Training,” 
Religious Education, XVII (December, 1922), 435-39. 

Dewey, John. Democracy and Education, chap. xxvi. 
Macmillan. 

Moral Principles in Education. Houghton Mifflin. 

Hartshorne, Hugh. Childhood and Character, chap. xvii. 
Pilgrim Press. 











CHAPTE Ret Vi 


HE PROJECT PRINCIPLE APPLIED TO 
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 


We have seen that the project principle provides 
for educating the child by introducing him to socially 
valuable experiences into which he enters wholeheart- 
edly and which he can successfully carry through. We 
have seen also that education for character is an impor- 
tant outcome of every experience which the child has in 
a social environment. ‘The distinctive task of religious 
education has been defined as the “prophetic insistence 
upon new expressions of the law of love.” Weare now 
faced with the problem of discovering the further 
significance of these facts in education for Christian 
character. What does it mean to apply the project 
principle to Christian education ? 


CRITERIA FOR SELECTING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 
PROJECTS 

Following the criteria used in chapter 1 to measure 
the educative values of project experiences, but measur- 
ing them in terms of the Christian ideal, we may say 
that in selecting projects for Christian education we 
must choose those which meet the following tests: 

1. Is purposing done in harmony with the highest 
Christian ideals ?—There are many who believe it is 
now time to turn our efforts away from getting the 


47 


48 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


child to state his religion in terms of mere belief and 
help him to think of it in terms of action. This means 
that creeds will become ‘‘statements of purpose.’? We 
have every reason to believe that Jesus’ religious ideals 
were predominantly of this character. Project- 
teaching will help us to do this very thing for which 
we have been seeking.* 

When one contrasts the helpless passivity which 
is characteristic of so many of our pupils in church 
schools with the keen initiative developed in public- 
school work, he can understand the need for developing 
purposeful activity in the former. A week-day school 
of religion located in a city which has an excellent 
public-school system could not compete for the inter- 
est of the pupils with the latter because it did not utilize 
the natural tendency of childhood to want to do some- 
thing creative. Although the public-school officials 
had granted release during school hours to attend the 
school of religion, the children preferred to stay where 
effortful initiative could find opportunity for expression 
in project activities. The week-day school of religion 
therefore had to change its meeting-time to an hour 
outside the public-school schedule to get pupils. Chil- 
dren must be allowed to purpose, to plan, and to do 
things. 

This means that we must provide a larger opportu- 
nity for activity into which the child can throw himself 
with his whole life. This activity should take its start 
from his natural interests. Out of the many things 


™An example of this is given in the bulletin of the Union 
School of Religion for 1920, p. 31. 


CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 49 


which the average child wants to do there are surely a 
number which are more distinctively Christian and 
which at the same time will arouse wholehearted 
purposefulness. 

We should not forget at this point, however, that 
it is our task as teachers and leaders to secure purposing 
on the Christian level. It is the experience into which 
the child enters with a Christian motive which provides 
Christian education. Not every project is worthy of a 
place in the distinct field in which Christian education 
should be supreme. It is not possible, of course, to 
begin at once on the extreme upper end of the scale. 
The teacher may have to be content with many 
project-experiences which have less of the values that 
are emphasized here. It is good teaching to begin as 
far up the scale as possible; it is also good teaching to 
move forward and utilize experiences more character- 
istically Christian. In later portions of this chapter 
and in the remainder of the volume suggestions will be 
made to help teachers plan projects with the Christian 
purpose in mind. 

2. Is the Christian purpose completely carried 
through ?—This means that religious education cannot 
be confined to “learning about” the Christian way of 
life. There are values and there is a place for memory 
work, acquisition of historical and literary facts, drill 
upon books of the Bible and the like, but these are 
means to ends. ‘They must form part, and an integral 
part, of a larger activity, the fulfilment of the pupil’s 
purpose. To short-cut the Christian educational pro- 
cess by limiting it to learning about Christianity is 


‘~ 


Oo 


- 


50 THE PRojJEcT PRINCIPLE 


almost wasted energy. The hope that the verse once 
learned will guarantee action later is psychologically 
untrue. ‘‘There is nothing in the nature of ideas about 
morality, of information about honesty or purity or kind- 
liness which automatically transmutes such ideas into 
good character or good conduct.’”! However, if the 
idea, or concept, has been associated with an experience 
which is satisfactorily completed, then it may control 
future conduct because it is inextricably bound up with 
it. The ideas, the attitudes, the habits of doing, are all 
made into a way of life. If we would have children 
learn the “good way” we must provide for complete 
experiences of living that life in the several circles of 
their early development step by step. The little girl 
who gave her teddy bear to her friend, even though she 
cried at the separation, had a real experience of sacri- 
ficial love. She was building a habit of loving with 
promise of a completely loving character. The learn- 
ing of a verse about love is a weak substitute for the real 
experience of loving someone. 

A word may be said at this point about “expres- 
sional activities.” To devise and append activities of 
various types to lessons of the usual variety is artificial 
and unreal. ‘The activities will have Christian educa- 
tional value only as the activity apart from the lesson 
provides it. Generally such activities involve a new 
and unrelated act. The “lesson” is found as much in 
the physical activity as in the book or class recitation. 
It is the totality and unity of the experience which 
gives it its worth-whileness. ‘This unity we must seek 

John Dewey, Moral Principles in Education, p. 1. 


% 
. 
. 
; 
; 
} 
{ 
J 





CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 5I 


in our church-school programs. The class which is 
engaged in a real task, building a portion of the King- 
dom of God, gets plenty of ideas which have real and 
permanent value, because they are an integral part of 
the total project. ‘The class has also plenty of material 
for devotions and does not need to devise programs with 
abstract themes about loyalty, trust, or service. The 
project principle will give unity to Christian education. 

This completeness and unity of experience can be 
illustrated in no better way than by an examination of 
the method of Jesus himself. Instead of setting up a 
formal school with classrooms, regular meeting hours, 
and note-taking material, and then lecturing, drilling, 
and holding examinations, he went on with his task of 
building the Kingdom. He chose twelve that they might 
be with him, associates in the great enterprise. As they 
went about with him they saw him do whatever love 
prompted. At first their part was small. They passed 
the bread and fish, they cared for the physical details. 
But they “observed” the way Jesus worked. ‘Then 
they were sent out to try “two by two.” Finally he 
gave to them the entire responsibility of carrying on the 
work which he laid down. Their lessons, their ideas, 
were gained in connection with real, first-hand experi- 
ences into which they were led because they were his 
associates. He talked to them, of course. But it was 
always about reality, about life; in most cases it had to 
do with an experience through which they were passing. 
No formal definitions or logically arranged system of 
ethics was left to be memorized. He suggested a prayer 
when they asked for it. It was not words which he 


¥ 


52 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


wanted them to learn; it was rather a way of life. He 
planned that they should get the complete experience. 
It took him several years; even then they were not 
thoroughly habituated to it. One failed entirely. 
Another grasped some time later the idea that all 
peoples were alike in the sight of the Father. How 
much we could learn about character-development 
methods if we studied the simple but effective means 
used by the “‘ Word, who became flesh and dwelt among 
us’! It was what he did day after day that taught the 
disciples. ‘The words he used were spoken to clarify 
and enlarge upon the experience they were having.! 

3. Is the most useful and needed contribution made 
to the furthering of the Christian enterprise, namely, 
the building of the Kingdom, or Democracy, of God? 
—Here again we are brought face to face with the ne- 
cessity of having children do real work. ‘Theartificiality 
of activities that are little more than busy work or 
planned to make vivid an ancient story, with no refer- 
ence to its present significance, is decidedly not project- 
teaching. One of our greatest dangers is at this point. 
Merely doing something is not enough. There are 
many who think of project-teaching as confined to mak- 
ing maps, posters, coloring pictures, and similar activi- 
ties of an objective nature. Outward physical action 
is not at alla criterion of a project. ‘The several criteria 

* Note how this very method is followed in Lessons in Civics 
for the Six Elementary Grades, by Hannah M. Harris (Bureau of 
Education Bulletin No. 18, 1920). The reader may also be 
interested in the method followed in the author’s Planbook for 


Training Leaders of Youth, Teaching Adolescents in the Church 
School (Doran). 


CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 53 


laid down in the first chapter and viewed from the 
standpoint of Christian education in this should be 
applied to test whether the thing done or object made is 
a project. One real test is the question of the ultimate 
purpose and use of the product. Does it help to create 
more love in the world? Does the doer clearly see and 
plan for this as he carries out his purpose? Some may 
object to measuring projects by the term practical, but 
is it not by the fruits of love that we are to judge the 
Christian ? 

In seeking to secure projects that make contribu- 
tions to a world in need of love we should take account 
of the present and pressing needs about us. It is some- 
what easier to get children to carry out a foreign- 
missionary project than to show love to the Chinese or 
Italian child in the next block. The result is revealed 
to us by our foreign missionaries who tell us that the 
greatest present obstacle to further work is the home- 
missionary problem. The child too often has failed 
to see the actual results and practical nature of his 
enterprise even though it was entered into with a most 
loving purpose. By choosing a present and pressing 
need within the child’s daily experience, his purpose and 
interest are strengthened, the values are increased in 
the child’s mind and the attitudes, skills, and knowl- 
edges are the more easily transferable to oncoming 
situations. 

All of this means that we would do well to give our 
immature Christians a larger share in the real work of 
the church. Our grown-ups do not confine their pro- 
jects to making maps of Palestine or dramatizing Old 


Fa IY 


54 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


Testament stories. They make maps of down-town 


‘ mission fields and dramatically portray the famine in 


India or China or the helplessness of a world where 
nations fraternize on a “‘tooth-and-claw” basis. Why 
not give our boys and girls real tasks? To be sure these 
should be within their powers of understanding and 
ability, but soon larger enterprises will be sought. 
Every church neighborhood, every daily paper, every 
schoolday experience, every community government, 
suggest that there is much work to be done ere the reign 
of love comes. Here are the fields for the discovery of 
practical projects. 

4. Is the sharing of experience upon a thoroughly 
Christian basis ?—If experience is valuable and educa- 
tive in proportion to the degree to which it is shared 
and made available to others, how much this should 
mean to Christians whose society is world wide! No 
nation can inclose so many within its borders as can 
the Christian church. The co-operative element in 
learning ought to appeal to those whose love circle is 
limitless. We are not learning as individuals; we 
learn together. Setting one class or school against 
another to beat the other’s attendance record sometimes 
results in un-Christian habits and attitudes. It is a 
contradiction to gloat over beating another class in 
showing love to orphans! We find organized classes 
setting up their wills and standards against other 
classes or even dominating the department or school 
organization. There is a greater Christian educa- 
tional value when classes work together to do a piece 
of service, or when many classes or departments in a 


‘ CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 55 


school, or even one school or portion of a school call 
to the others in the city to “come over and help us” 
Christianize the political life of a community or the 
athletic life of a high school. Surely the principle of 
_ co-operation should always be prominent in the choice 
of Christian projects. 

In connection with this criterion we must also refer 
again to the fact that there should be no separation of 
church school and church. The church is a family. 
Young and old are to work together in a common cause. 
The young are not preparing for membership, to assume 
all the duties and share all the privileges at once at a 
later date. The relationships of old and young in the 
church as elsewhere must be Christianized. If the 
project principle insists that experience be shared 
co-operatively and succeeds in making Christian 
families of our churches, a great day shall have arrived. 
Why should the gray hairs rule over all others, or by 
chance of revolution the ‘“‘revolt of youth” take place 
and the new generation lord it over the old fogies? Itis 
both highly educative and desirable from other view- 
points that the experience of every member of the 
church should be at the disposal of all. 


INSURING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION VALUES 


To insure the Christian education value of project- 
teaching in addition to the four criteria given above, the 
following suggestions are made. ‘These suggestions 
have particular reference to the points at which there 
is most danger of losing the best results which accom- 
pany teaching through projects. 


56 THE PrRojEcT PRINCIPLE 


1. Select those enterprises which are constructive 
rather than remedial. Set to work to remove causes, 
not being content with providing ‘“‘an ambulance down 
in the valley.”” Should not our children learn that it is 
“not the will of God that one of these little ones should 
perish”? Are poverty, sickness, disease, accidents, 
and suffering providential gifts of God or are they the 
results of man’s unbrotherliness to man, a failure to 
apply knowledge under the law of Christian love ? 

2. Utilize projects in which pupils are set thinking 
rather than those in which the ideas of others are 
rehearsed. Pageants written by others are often ex- 
cellent, but why not also provide for children’s building 
and presenting pageants in which their own ideas are 
set forth? Growth is in direct proportion to thinking; 
this is as true of Christian growth as of any other type. 

3. Provide that projects be more complex and 
extend over a longer period of time. This is a counsel 
of perfection. Obviously with younger children and 
when beginning project-teaching one would not do this. 
One project suggests others of a similar nature. Often 
minor projects are undertaken as portions of larger 
ones. To give a party to foreign children might involve 
projects of preparing invitations, providing a program, 
seeing that the guests were provided with transporta- 
tion, raising money to defray expenses, seeking 
co-operation of other church-school groups, etc. A 
young people’s society which purposed to help college 
or high-school students feel at home in their church 
for a year would have a multiplicity of activities laid 
out for them. For three successive years the work, 


CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 57 


study, and worship programs of a certain school were 
fitted into the larger projects of “ Building the House of 
Friendship,” ‘Building the House of Justice,” and 
“Living Together as the Family of God.” 

4. Projects requiring the personal touch are more 
valuable than those which suggest love only at long 
range or by proxy. ‘There is a temptation to lose the 
feeling and reality of the experience when one has 
handed money over to a charity organization or mis- 
sion board to do the loving for him. Sacrificial love 
and gifts of friendship are preferable to condescending 
charity. The personal touch is becoming all the more 
necessary in a complex world where folk are continually 
moving and where impersonal communication is rela- 
tively easy. 

5. The giving of spiritual values, such as visits to 
old and shut-in people, letters of sympathy and encour- 
agement to those suffering or carrying the burdens of 
the fight for Christian righteousness, indorsement of 
reform movements, providing helpful worship services 
for other groups, are more difficult but are often the 
most-needed contributions to the life of the Christian 
enterprise. ‘They are therefore productive of greater 
Christian growth in the lives of those undertaking 


them. 
MANY PROBLEMS SOLVED 


Most of our difficulties in church-school teaching 
are due to a failure to apply the educational principles 


™For a more detailed description of how this was done see 
Stories for Worship and How to Follow Them Up, by Hugh Harts- 
horne (Scribners). 


58 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


thus far discussed. The project viewpoint is an 
endeavor to restate the aims and utilize the techniques 
of good teaching with these very difficulties in mind. 
We have every reason to believe that when we begin to 
apply the project idea to the development of Christian 
character, satisfactory answers will be found to such 
questions as these: 


How can a more suitable course be found for my pupils ? 

How can the lesson be made interesting ? 

How can the pupils be made to study their lessons and 
take part in the recitation ? 

How can we get the truth over into life ? 

How shall we find themes for worship services ? 

How can we teach missions, temperance, social service, 
industrial good will, world-peace, and other new subjects in 
addition to the regular lessons of the school ? 

In what ways can we develop initiative and responsi- 
bility in our pupils ? 

How can we get our young people to appreciate the claim 
of the church on their lives and to be loyal to its purpose? 


OTHER PROBLEMS RAISED 


Those who see the possibilities of teaching in 
accordance with the project viewpoint and wish to 
approach their task on this basis are very likely to ask 
at the outset such questions as: 


Where can I find suggestions as to possible projects ? 
' How can a project be set going ? 
What is the procedure for carrying through a project ? 
Can projects be related to the course of study? 
Can our teachers use this method of approach ? 


Does it supplant all good methods of teaching which 
have been in use ? 


CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 59 


How does it affect our present type of church-school 
organization ? 

What success are other church-school teachers having 
with project-teaching ? 


These are questions which should be faced honestly 
and it is our purpose in the succeeding chapters to deal 
with them. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Coe, George A. A Social Theory of Religious Education, 
pp. 80-84. Scribners. 

Law and Freedom in the School, especially chap. 
ix. The University of Chicago Press. 

Edwards, Frances R. “The Place of the Project Method 
in Religious Education,” Journal of Educational Method, 
I (December, 1921), 138-43. 

Hosic, J. F. ‘The Application of Modern Methods to 
Week-Day Religious Instruction,” Religious Education, 
XVII (April, 1922), 164-66. 

Mudge, E. L. ‘‘The Project Method in Religious Educa- 
tion,” Church School, IV (November, 1922), 61, 62, 93. 

Stevens, Julia D. “The New Method in Education,’ 
Church School, II (October, 1920), 37, 38, 48. 

Tallman, Lavinia, ‘‘New Types of Class Teaching,” Reli- 
gious Education, XII (August, 1917), 271-80. 





For illustrations of project-teaching in religious educa- 
tion see Part II of this volume. 


CHAR ERA 


DISCOVERING PROJECTS FOR 
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 


Although Christianity, as we have seen, has a 
distinct task educationally, it has at the same time to 
do with all life. Therefore the endeavor to discover 
projects with Christian educational value takes us into 
all phases of life. Our task is to impart to the way of 
living a quality, the quality of love. This fact of the 
wide range of our field is at once both a help and a 
hindrance. Keeping in mind the criteria we have laid 
down to help us select those projects which are most 
worth while from the standpoint of Christian education, 
we may begin from one or more of four starting-points. 

1. We may find projects in an existing need in the 
life of an individual or society.— When things as they 
are are compared with the Christian ideal of life the 
difference suggests that work be undertaken. For 
example, the Christian ideal may not yet be attained in 
the physical side of human life. A recent accident on 
the elevated railroad in a large city cost the lives of 
seven people and the injury of almost a hundred 
others. Certain people said it was an act of God. 
Others explained that defective guard rails were the 
cause and indicated that the officials were at fault, 
having it within their power to compel the use of sound 
timbers instead of allowing decayed sections to remain. 


60 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 61 


Rigid insistence upon the maximum safety and happi- 
ness for all the children of God is the duty and privi- 
lege of younger as well as older Christian citizens. A 
resourceful teacher can find scores of cases of neglect 
which church-school classes could directly or indirectly 
help to remedy. A little child fell off a bridge and was 
drowned because one rail was missing from the fence. 
Whose fault was it? Is your church school organized 
to bring an abundance of physical life to everyone it 
knows? Look about and find places which need just 
such Christian attention. 

Our young people are having intellectual struggles. 
How many of them have been lost and are still being 
lost to the church and the Kingdom because we have 
not met this need? Have we honestly tried to help 
them through the problems of science and religion 
openmindedly? Too frequently our method is to 
insist upon the interpretations that were prevalent 
when we went to school years ago. It is so hard to 
keep thinking and growing with our children. What 
an opportunity we have had to utilize the popular 
interest in King Tut to approach the ancient views of 
religion and lead our young people to understand the 
development of ideas of God, of immortality, and of 
the goal of life! The dust might have been brushed 
away from the stories of archaeological research and 
real projects undertaken to find out the great truths. 
But the “lessons” had to be taken up in just the way 
the quarterly had outlined them! 

Our social and civic relations are as yet hardly on a 
Christian basis. There are cities where the term 


62 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Christian is used in the newspaper advertisements to 
designate anyone not a Jew! A Christianization of our 
national holidays is a task to which the church schools 
of any community might well set themselves. A cer- 
tain men’s class bewailed the fact that liquor could be 
bought anywhere in the city, but when it was suggested 
that it seek the co-operation of other men’s classes in 
the churches near by to stand unitedly and use all the 
resourcefulness of Christian intelligence to compel a 
new sentiment, the reply was that the way to do it was 
to change the hearts of the individuals and then liquor 
would not be sold! Is your church and church school 
noted for the advanced stand it takes in your com- 
munity for Christian righteousness ? 

In the realm which for practical purposes we call 
the religious, there are needs also. Does our method of 
catechetical teaching in pastors’ classes give our new 
church members a real understanding of what it means 
to be a church member and enough of that element 
which our forefathers called a real ‘‘experience”’ of the 
place of religion in life? Our children, with wise help, 
might frame their own creeds, thinking through the 
difficulties and arriving not at adult statements but 
setting forth their ideas and ideals with reference to 
religion and the church on the basis of a real experience 
in its work.! 

This attempt to discover projects from the starting- 
point of needs means a constant surveying of those 

™ For suggestions as to how to handle this problem of joining 


the church from the project viewpoint see the plan given at the 
close of chap. vi. 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 63 


fields in which the pupils should naturally take an 
interest. No church school can teach its children which 
does not see with keen Christian vision the violations 
and neglect of the law of love. We dare to predict that 
more and more the curriculum of Christian education 
will be dependent upon continual resurvey of world- 
needs and will be continually revised as each new year 
is faced. This analysis of the needs in each local 
school will mean also a curriculum adaptable to that 
locality. ‘The small school and the peculiar school will 
each have its own curriculum.’ 

How can the church-school workers know of these 
needs? By personal observation, by reading of news- 
papers and magazines, and by heeding the calls for 
help issuing from every corner of the world. Hardly a 
day passes but that the writer discovers in the daily 
papers news articles and editorials which would serve to 
introduce projects. To one who forms the habit of 
being on the watch Christian project possibilities are 

numerous. 
2. Many projects will be suggested by the program 
of Christian activity carried on by the church.— Practi- 
cally every overhead church organization and many 
local churches have programs. The program may be 
for a longer or shorter period. Work to be done is 
mapped out. A plan of Kingdom-building is carried 
on. A study of the various portions of this program 
may result in numerous projects with Christian educa- 
tional value. It is interesting to note that more and 


™See chap. viii entitled “The Project Principle and the 
Curriculum.” 


64 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


more churches are asking their children to assist them 
in the carrying forward of their work. Unfortunately 
from the standpoint of educational value two mistakes 
are commonly made. In order to get as much money 
as possible for the missionary quota the present year, a 
campaign of missionary propaganda is carried on and 
shortsighted emotional appeals are made. The money 
is obtained, but real interest is stifled. Missionary 
education should be planned, and by some boards it 
already is, upon a real educational plane. Another 
defect is the imposing of a ready-made adult program 
upon children. They are asked to assist in carrying 
out activity in the planning of which they have had no 
part. This undemocratic procedure is both un- 
Christian and quite out of accord with educational 
values. 

If, however, junior members of churches are given 
a real place in the planning of the program they will 
not only enter into it more wholeheartedly but derive 
real educative experience from it. If this were the 
policy, our denominational programs would gradually 
make adjustments to new situations and not have to be 
entirely rebuilt by drives and campaigns. May we 
suggest, also, that if more of the idealism and faith of 
youth found expression in these programs they would 
be larger and better than they are at the present time. 

Teachers who are on their guard against these 
defects can utilize a church program as the starting- 
point for many projects. ‘They can use the denomina- 
tional literature as a source book of suggestions, not as 
orders from autocratic commanding officers. It is 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 65 


largely a matter of wise approach on the part of the 
teacher. When our denominational leaders come to 
realize the educative value of participation by the young 
in the working program of the church, they will build 
a new and more democratic machinery and plan a more 
flexible and adaptable program at headquarters. 
Those denominations which see the truth of the pro- 
ject. principle and encourage thinking and initiative 
among children and young people in the local church 
in the planning and carrying out of their own programs 
will in the end reap the more abundant harvest. 
Teachers in our church schools can help to bring this 
about by refusing to take ready-made programs and 
by wisely selecting those elements into which children 
can purposefully enter. Programs used thus are 
exceedingly fruitful for project-teaching. 

3. The starting-point for many projects will be 
found in the interests of the pupils.— Even though the 
first idea for a project comes from some other source, 
to be of value it must be within the interest range of 
those who are expected to join in its execution. The 
teacher may catch a vision of possibilities because of a 
great need or because of a statesman-like program, but 
before going far the pupils’ attitudes must be con- 
sidered.. It frequently happens, on the other hand 
that the pupils themselves suggest projects by what 
they say and do. Their interests are many, co- 
extensive with life itself, offering again a wide range. 
Not long since the writer came upon a box of marbles 
on a table in a church school. He was informed that 
a certain class of boys because of their interest in 


66 THe PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


marbles (it was spring) had conceived the idea that the 
boys in India would like to play marbles and had 
started on the project of collecting a box to send to 
them. We need to encourage and plan for more such 
projects. 

Following pupils’ interests does not mean “ oppor- 
tunist”’ teaching. It may, of course, easily come down 
to this level. On the other hand, it may rise to levels 
far above that of most church-school teaching of today. 
This very freedom given to the teacher to follow leads 
and live interests implies also the responsibility of 
using them effectively. When children become seri- 
ously engaged in carrying through a project, countless 
other things-to-do-next occur to them. It is the 
teacher’s business to watch for new leads. 

It is clear that project-teaching cannot be carried 
on by teachers who do not know the interests of their 
pupils. It is of such vital importance that an entire 
chapter of this volume is given to a discussion of how 
teachers may know their pupils as well as the pupil. 

4. Projects carried out successfully by other church- 
school groups are very suggestive.— What others have 
done, we can do. This should not be taken to mean 
that we are to copy their projects. ‘This would be to 
court failure as a project teacher. But the fact that 
enterprises having educational value have been carried 
out by others can give us faith and a sense of the reality 
of the principle which no amount of exhortation or book 
explanation can accomplish. We learn from others by 
seeing them work. We need close-up observation of 
project-teaching both to encourage us and to give 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 67 


details of method. It is with this purpose that Part II 
of this volume is planned. ‘The author is sure that its 
value is at least as great as, and probably greater than, 
Part I. These descriptions of actual project-teaching 
are given with the thought of real helpfulness to the 
teacher who wants to know just how others have done. 
It is to be hoped that religious education in the future 
will give more attention to the exchange of teaching 
experiences, for no help is more effective than this. 

The observation of the work of others and the read- 
ing of such descriptions as are provided here can be only 
suggestive. At first we may follow others rather 
closely, but we must soon learn to walk alone. It is 
quite likely that those who are specializing in educa- 
tional theory and methods may suggest projects and 
devise project plans for beginning teachers. This is 
surely justifiable as a beginning, but if a teacher never 
gets beyond the use of the plans of others, it would 
seem that the very purpose of such plans has failed. 
Their use should lead the teacher to make and carry 
out project plans of his own. 


SPECIAL SOURCES 


It is often difficult to visualize activities which 
might form the basis of project-teaching. The follow- 
ing simple classification of sources is given to help the 
beginning teacher. 

1. Articles in magazines.—In such periodicals as A. 
Religious Education and those published by the denom- 
inations, a teacher will discover both descriptions of 
projects carried out and plans for new ones. 


68 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


2. Books.—There is an increasing number of books 
which have rich suggestions for service activities. One 
has to be on his guard in the use of these, for most of 
them do not plan that the things shall be done in accord- 
ance with project principles. They do, nevertheless, 
give one many ideas of what to do. Among others we 
might mention Hall’s Church and Sunday School Handi- 
craft for Boys (Doran); Hutchins’ Graded Social Service 
in the Sunday School (The University of Chicago Press) ; 
Littlefield’s Handwork in the Sunday School (Sunday 
School Times Company); and Wardle’s Handwork in 
Religious Education (‘The University of Chicago Press). 

3. Leaflets and manuals from denominational 
boards.—Home and foreign missionary societies, social- 
service commissions, Sunday-school and education 
boards, temperance societies, boards of ministerial 
relief, and others send out literature with appeals for 
help in their cause. Where these do not impose their 
quotas upon local schools, but place intelligent educa- 
tional methods foremost and suggest very definite and 
special opportunities in which pupils can take a per- 
sonal interest, the causes which they represent offer 
excellent project possibilities. 

4. Bulletins of service organizations outside the 
church.—The Near East Relief, the Student Friendship 
Fund, the Red Cross, and the Anti-Saloon League are 
examples of national organizations. Every local com- 
munity has several charitable, humane, and child- 
welfare agencies. These causes also, when used in 
accordance with project principles, may be made means 
of Christian growth. 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 69 


5. Lhe bulletins, charts, and reports of other schools 
suggest activities which have the advantage of having 
been tested by actual use. 

6. The manuals, reports, and magazines of such 
agencies for character-development as the Y.M.C.A., 
the Scouts, and the Camp Fire Girls should be fre- 
quently consulted as a means of suggesting fruitful 
projects. 

7. The literature of public education.—Such books as 
are listed in the bibliography at the close of chapter ii, 
the various educational journals, and collections of 
project descriptions may start teachers in church 
schools thinking of related projects for developing 
Christian character.? 


ONE HUNDRED SUGGESTED PROJECTS 


To give still more concrete expression to the fore- 
going directions for discovering projects a list of one 
hundred suggestions for projects follows. The group- 
ing on an age basis is purely arbitrary, for many of these 
could by enlargement or simplification be utilized as 
well with older or younger pupils. Some will occupy 
the time of a class for a year; others may be com- 
pleted in two or three sessions. Activities of a mis- 
sionary or similar nature are omitted because they 
are so easily discovered by communicating with the 
boards and other organizations mentioned under (3) 
and (4) above. 


t See Appendix, Section I, for source list of public-education 
projects having suggestive value for religious education. 


70 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


FOR KINDERGARTEN AND PRIMARY CHILDREN (UNDER 
NINE YEARS OF AGE) 

Planning and providing an entertainment for parents 
or older members of the church school. 

Growing flowers for sick children in hospitals and homes. 

Giving gifts to teachers, school officers, parents, and 
friends at Christmas, or other times. 

Devising and presenting a play showing how one should 
be kind to children of other nationalities, to less-favored 
children, or to animals. 

Making toys for crippled and sick children. 

Dramatizing a Bible story for the purpose of explaining 
it to others or making them happy. 

Raising money to buy some article of furniture or 
equipment for children in a school which is meagerly 
equipped. 

Making various kinds of scrapbooks for children in 
institutions. 

Selecting a committee to visit a day nursery, mission 
school, orphanage, or other children’s institution and hearing 
them report their experience. 

Writing letters and sending camera pictures of them- 
Selves and their school to children some distance away. 

Making and presenting a program for Children’s Day 
or graduation. 

Giving a welcome party for new members of the 
department. | 

Making a true-story book with some such title as 
Friendly Deeds We Have Seen. 

Making a set of rules for Keeping Our Bodies Strong and 
Well, and illustrating it with pictures and their own 
experiences. 

Making a picture book, Beautiful Things God Has Put 
into the World for Us, to be given away. 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION ar 


FOR CHILDREN OF JUNIOR DEPARTMENT (NINE TO 
ELEVEN YEARS OF AGE) 


Making a scrapbook illustrating the history of the local ~ 


church or denomination. 

Giving mother or father a vacation of one or more days 
from all or some portion of the household tasks. 

Raising funds and providing a good time and feast for 
less fortunate friends. 

Getting acquainted with the foreign children in our - 
neighborhood or city. 

Making a class prayer. ‘ 

Showing appreciation in a very definite way of church 
or public helpers as the pastor, superintendent, janitor, 
policeman, newspaper editor, etc. 

Acting as ushers and doorkeepers in the department 
(boys). 

Planning an imaginary trip to Palestine or to some 
mission field. 

Caring for babies in a church nursery (girls). 

Making a book: Boy (Girl) Heroes of Today. 

Making a code of rules for Fair Play in Games, Honoring 
Father and Mother, or Treating the Teacher Square. 

Forming a messenger club to be at the service of the 
pastor or church-school superintendent (boys). 

Assisting the church ushers in gathering communion cups, 
handing out calendars, distributing literature, etc. (boys). 

Forming a branch of the Humane Society. 

Making objects, charts, and the like, illustrating lessons, \_- 
for the class, or other classes (not merely doing something, 
but working with a service motive). 


FOR INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS (TWELVE 
TO FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE) 


Discovering and honoring the best marble players in 
one’s neighborhood (requiring tournament organization and 


72 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


fair play rules; purpose to counteract playing for keeps) 
(boys). 
Printing (or mimeographing) a church calendar. 
~, Building a personal code for the Christian life. 

Discovering the ‘‘Ten Greatest Heroes (or Martyrs) of 
oday:¥ 

Finding out why one should join the church (what 
church, when, how? See suggested plan by author at 
close of chap. vi). 

Planning a program for a Christian’s leisure time. 

Conducting a worship service for the department. 

Making a Christian flag and standard for the school 
(boys and girls). 

Doing chores for a shut-in man or woman one or more 
hours a week. 

Buying a Scout uniform for a worthy Scout. 

Making posters advertising events at our church. 

Preparing a creed or Christian’s statement of purpose 
upon the basis of which to seek membership in the 
church. 

Making a bulletin board and keeping it posted with 
notices from various church departments. 

Making a list of books suitable for a Christian of our 
age to read. 

Planning a graduation program for the department. 

Making a book of The Twenty-Five Best Examples of 
Christian Living We Have Seen This Year. 

Preparing a book entitled Christian Americans of Foreign 
Birth Who Are Helping (or Have Helped) to Make Our Country 
Great. 
Planning and effecting physical improvements in our 
department. 

Making a book for the school library showing how the 
~ Bible came to us. 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 93 


Planning a graphic representation of the neighborhood 
or city as it would appear if completely Christian. 


FOR SENIOR DEPARTMENT MEMBERS (FIFTEEN TO 
SEVENTEEN YEARS OF AGE) 


Providing (better making) an article of furniture or 
equipment for the church. 

Arriving at a Christian view of the problem of pro- 
fessionalism in athletics. 

Writing and presenting a pageant showing the history 
of the local church (Act I, scenes from the past; Act II, 
scenes from the life of today; Act III, the church ten or 
twenty years hence—as it would be if we were responsible). 

Choosing the college which will best prepare each mem- 
ber of the class for making a Christian success in life. 

Seeking representation in the governing body of the 
local church. 

Relating Christianity to the modern views of science. 

Discovering whether God sends sickness, death, calam- 
ity, etc. 

Discovering how many of the ways of the past a Chris- 
tian of today should imitate. 

Providing the pastor with a special musical program 
one Sunday evening a month. 

Finding a Christian answer to such questions as: Shall 
I smoke, play cards, dance, tip, encourage prize-fighting, 
chew gum, etc.? (lf affirmative answer, when and how ?) 

Teaching younger boys and girls in our school to swim, 
play various games, and the like. 

Learning how our church got its creed. 

Choosing one’s life-work as a Christian. 

Inaugurating a campaign for clean athletics in the high 
school. 

Christianizing the national holidays in our community. 


74 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Reading to an aged or blind lady one hour a week 
(girls). 

Serving a banquet for the mothers and fathers of the 
church. 

Making charts showing the service activities of our 
school during the year. 

Planning and putting on a pageant or play teaching 
peace. 

Planning a service of dedication of pictures recently 
purchased by the church. 

Making and sending Christmas greetings to the church- 
school officers. 

Making a collection of poems that have helped members 
of the class. 

Preparing a yearbook of our school. 

Writing letters of appreciation and encouragement to 
great Christian leaders. 

Preparing a code or set of rules for choosing friends on a 
Christian basis. 


FOR MEMBERS OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S DEPARTMENT 
(EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF AGE) 


Making a budget for our church for the coming year 
(what we think it ought to spend and how it should be 
raised). 

Planning and carrying out a service in connection with 
the dedication of-a church or parish house. 

Discovering a Christian attitude toward the public 
press. 

Discovering how a Christian should invest his money. 

Editing a paper for the church school. 

Running an auto bus to bring children to church school, 
or old people to church, who could not otherwise come 
because of distance or age. 


PROJECTS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION iis 


Providing an evening of wholesome entertainment for 
the younger members of our school. 

Holding a young people’s communion service by and 
for young people. 


Discovering the meaning of God, salvation, atonement, 
etc. 


Discovering what laws are not being enforced in the 
community and arousing sentiment for their enforcement. 

Choosing one’s life-partner as a Christian. 

Taking a Christian attitude toward capitalists and labor- 
union members. 

Giving the local church the new idea it needs most (in 
form of special talks, pageant, play, etc.). 

Forming a special church choir, orchestra, or band. 

Making clothing for a nursery (girls). 

Distributing to the church members the best literature 
from the denominational boards to increase the efficiency 
of the church. 

Circulating petitions for better government among the 
young people of the community. 

Devising a plan of student government for the school. 

Finding out why young people do not come to church 
school or church. 

Selecting the twenty-five (or more) best hymns (scrip- 
ture passages or prayers) for use in our departmental devo- 
tional service. 

Writing a department, or school, hymn to be sung to 
some familiar tune. 

Preparing a platform of Christian service within the 
community for the school. 

Studying the churches of the vicinity to decide which 
one is best equipped and organized to do what needs to 
be done. ; 

Making a code for a Christian parent. 


76 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Examining the social teachings of Jesus, with a view to 
discovering how many of them could be applied in the local 
community and in what particular way. 


FOR MEMBERS OF ADULT DEPARTMENT (OVER 
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF AGE) 

For definite suggestions as to how adults can grow in 
Christian character by building the Kingdom, see such a 
book as Social Work in the Churches, by Arthur E. Holt 
(Pilgrim Press). 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Those desiring to make a more extended study of the 
theme of this chapter are referred to 

a) The reference list of chapter iv. 

b) The several suggestions made under the heading, 
‘Special Sources,”’ above. 

c) Part II of this volume. 

d) Part III, Appendix, Section I, of this volume. 


CHAPTER VI 
CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 


In a general way the method of planning and work- 
ing out a project with church-school groups is suggested 
by the following steps. Jt must be borne in mind, 
however, that one who uses the suggestions given in 
this chapter without an understanding of the principles 
involved will fail to get the results inherent in good 
project-teaching. This outline of suggestions is given 
to make more definite some of the principles laid down 
in previous chapters. One should not hope to plan a 
successful project by simply following this procedure. 
It is far better to analyze the projects carried out by 
successful teachers. ‘The very best way to become 
adept in the art of teaching through projects is to learn 
by doing. Plan and carry out projects and then judge 
them in the light of approved principles. Profiting by 
successes and failures, the teacher will develop skill 
which is actual and real, for it will have been acquired 
in the school of experience, not in the following of 
formal steps. | 


I. ANALYZE THE SITUATION 
Let the teacher ask himself what experiences are 
most needed at the particular time by the pupils whom 
he is teaching. Instead of thinking of his task in terms 
of getting across a lesson out of a book, let him, like 


77 


78 THE PrRojJEcT PRINCIPLE 


the physician, make a diagnosis of his patients with a 
view to discovering whether it is medicine or food that 
is needed, and just what definite prescription should 
be given. 

Let the teacher at the same time make himself aware 
of the program of Christian activity that is being carried 
on or should be carried on in the world, near or far. 
Let him also see how it might be carried farther with 
the co-operation of his own pupils and whether they 
would thereby gain desirable experiences. As has been 
pointed out, Jesus’ activity had a twofold result. It 
produced actual, practical changes in the well-being of 
individuals in need of help and at the same time was 
full of vivid lessons for the disciples. It seems that 
we waste much energy by divorcing our educational 
system from the real work of life. 

The teacher should then ask himself whether his 
pupils have interests which would serve as approaches 
or points of contact for securing their hearty entrance 
upon the needed activity-experience. The importance 
of knowing the specific interests of each student, the 
occasional interests aroused by recent events in their 
lives, and other facts which no study of psychology can 
reveal, is therefore evident. 

His next question is whether past experience, be it 
his own, his pupils’, or that of others, warrants the 
belief that such a project will produce the desired 
outcomes. . 

He must also face the question of whether he is able 
and willing to take the responsibility of leadership in 
such a project. 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 79 


Provided these questions can be answered satis- 
factorily, the project suggested may be chosen and plans 
begun for its execution. 


II. PREPARE TO LAUNCH THE PROJECT 


Keeping in mind clearly the aim which he is seeking 

to accomplish, and the interests of the pupils whom he 
‘is leading, the teacher should make a tentative plan of 
action. Such a plan will make for more thorough work 
and be a measuring-rod of progress. He must arrange 
the program which ought to be carried on. From 
among countless activities such as meeting for dis- 
cussion, observation trips, working with tools, study of 
reference books, rehearsals, visits to sick and needy, 
preparation of budgets, planning and carrying out a 
devotional service, making advertising posters, listen- 
ing to speakers, meeting with church committees, and 
scores of others, he will select those which are suited 
to the accomplishment of his purpose. From among 
the many techniques which a group leader or teacher 
may use, such as story-telling, asking questions, using 
illustrative material, planning drills, and the like, he 
will decide upon those he finds necessary. His plan 
will also take into consideration the great variety of 
source material available both in printed form and in 
the first-hand experience of himself, his pupils, and 
others whom he may ask to assist. 

After he has made this tentative plan he must then 
interest the pupils in the project. The difficulty and 
likewise the success of this step will depend upon the 
extent to which their interests have been considered in 


80 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


the selection and planning of the project. He may 
proceed by recalling the experience of a significant 
event. The significance may be due to its personal 
nature, its local interest, its timeliness, or its impor- 
tance. He may read a magazine article, tell a story, 
or in some other way create a situation with a view to 
provoking a response on the part of the class. The 
responses of the various members should then be 
organized to develop in the group a sense of difficulty or 
need and an active desire to overcome it. 

This desire to do something should culminate in 
a definite expression of purpose. This purpose should 
be representative of the desires of the entire group and 
as many as possible should contribute to it. It should 
be stated in terms of activity, that is, to be truly 
educative it should indicate an outgoing, interested 
attitude. The term activity is not to be thought of as 
simply physical, but a giving of the pupils’ entire lives, 
body, mind, and heart, to the coming enterprise. It 
is not to be expected that at the outset the pupils will 
sense the full range of possibilities in the situation, but 
the wise leader will see to it that they are set forth in 
sufficient degree to secure enthusiastic purposing. 

™ 
III. MAKE A GROUP-PLAN OF ACTION 4 

Under the leader’s direction the group should pro- 
ceed to make a plan of action. It may take its start 
from the tentative plan of the teacher, but if he is 
skilful he will welcome and utilize suggestions from the 
group. Whatever plans are made will have to remain 
somewhat tentative and subject to revision as they are 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 81 


tried out. When it comes to a matter of just how the 
class is to fulfil its purposes and plans it will be found 
that some organization will be necessary to do efficient 
and co-operative work. It is likely that various por- 
tions of the activity will be given over to individuals or 
committees, who shall be responsible to the class as a 
whole. 

It is quite impossible here to say just what activi- 
ties the plan will include. The interesting thing about 
projects is their endless variety. The reader can get 
a better idea of the activities included in various 
projects by reading the descriptions in Part II. Three 
typical plans for carrying out a project are given at 
the close of this chapter. 


IV. CARRY THE PLAN THROUGH 


As a leader of a democratic group, the teacher will 
utilize certain techniques of teaching and go to certain 
sources for the experience-materials which the group 
should have. The choice and order of techniques and \/ 
materials and the manner of their use are dependent 
upon the project undertaken. It is at this point that 
teaching in accordance with the project principle is 
quite distinct from following formal steps. The pro- 
ject teacher must be resourceful. For the encourage- 
ment of many teachers in our church schools let it be 
said that resourcefulness is in great measure the applica- 
tion of good common sense. We have had many 
teachers who have refused to be bound by formal 
textbook question-and-answer methods but have 
launched out for themselves, living with their pupils 


82 THe PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


and doing with them and for them the thing that helped 
most. Among the techniques of good common-sense 
leadership we may list the following: 

Directing the pupils in the making of observations, 
investigations, and experiments, and assisting them in 
organizing reports of what they have learned for the benefit 
of the entire class. 

Organizing and leading extra-class experience of varied 
kinds, as social and recreational life. 

At meetings of the group exercising skill in the telling 
of stories, using a variety of illustrative material, and giving 
information which the pupils cannot economically acquire — 
by themselves. All this means the enrichment of the 
experience of the group. | 

Leading the class in the exchange of experiences, by 
promoting discussion, asking thought-provoking questions, 
and hearing reports. 

Assisting the class to evaluate and sum up what it has 
discovered, and to appreciate the meaning of the experi- 
ence. 

Guiding and directing those portions of the project at 
which drill may be required, as in the rehearsal for a pageant 
or effective reading of a scripture lesson for a young people’s 
service. 


As source materials of experience the leader may 
take or direct his pupils to a great variety of places and 
persons. They may make use of experience second 
hand in the form of printed literature, such as: - 

Reference books, as the Bibles,t dictionaries, and 
encyclopedias. 


*See J. M. Artman, “Evaluation of Curricula,” Religious 
Education, XVII (April, 1922), 154. 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 83 


Textbooks, for in project-teaching texts become sources 
of experience and are used as reference books rather than 
formal texts. 

Newspapers, magazines, and bulletins. 

Catalogues, pictures, cartoons, and a great number of 
similar forms of experience in print form. 


Another source of worth-while help in carrying 
through a project is personal experience. The leader 
may direct his pupils to find out for themselves by 
first-hand acquaintanceship the facts which bear upon 
a solution of their problem. These sources of experi- 
ence include: 


Home life. A large number of experiences which take 
place in the home are usable in project-teaching. 

Play life. Younger children especially have a large 
proportion of their experiences in connection with com- 
panions on the playground. 

Public school. Not only the incidental experiences 
but the wide range of skills and knowledge acquired can be 
used in church-school projects. 

Civic and social life. All the relationships to others in 
the institutions of government and other groups for mutual 
help give valuable experiences. 

The industrial and commercial world. Visits to fac- 
tories and other commercial institutions throw needed 
light upon many of our Christian education problems. 

The life within the church. The church organization 
and what it carries on will provide answers to many prob- 
lems being worked at by church-school groups. 


V. MEASURE THE RESULTS 


There is a temptation to think of a project as com- 
plete when the several steps have been carried out to 


84 THE PRrojJECT PRINCIPLE 


the satisfaction of the individual or group. A very 
important step, however, comes after the objective 
work is done. If the project is to have educational 
value for those engaging in it, it is necessary to take 
account of what has been done in the light of the 
purpose formed. ‘This process of judging or measuring 
results should be a part of the entire carrying-out of 
the project, but is especially desirable at the conclusion. 
The teacher and the pupils should review the work 
done in the light of such questions as: Was the purpose 
accomplished? What portions were done well? How 
can we preserve the lessons gained for future projects ? 
What portions were done poorly? How can we 
improve upon such weakness next time? What values 
has the experience had for us? What new projects 
are suggested by the carrying through of this one? 
It is quite likely that the teacher, whose larger vision 
and experience have caused him to learn more lessons 
from the project, will also want to review these for him- 
self that he may more skilfully direct future enterprises. 

When we are evaluating the outcomes of Christian 
- education projects we should not forget as teachers that 
we are seeking to develop a way of life, a Christian 
character. We are to judge the value of the project 
not so much by the amount of information about Chris- 
tianity which the pupil has acquired as by the new 
attitudes which he takes and the new habits he has 
actually formed, which'are the true tests of education 
for character. Jesus was insistent upon this point. 
At every turn he warned his followers about measuring 
life by words and demanded that conduct be made the 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 85 


final test. Any measurements of growth in religion 
based upon less than this are to be discounted. 


JOINING THE CHURCH: 


A suggested plan for a project for boys and girls in 
pastors’ classes, the church school, young people’s societies, 
week-day or vacation school groups. 

Introductory note-——The brief outline plan is but sug- 
gestive. Leaders who are seeking to arouse an active 
interest in the church on the part of boys and girls may find 
this plan helpful, but should adapt it to their local conditions. 
It is requested that those who make use of it send a report 
of the experiment to the writer, telling what was done, the 
points of success or failure, and giving helpful criticisms. 


WHY SUCH A PROJECT? 
A. It is needed 
I. There is a lack of understanding on the part of 
boys and girls of the place the church should 
occupy in modern life. 

II. Consequently, there is a lack of interest in the 
church by many young people. 

III. There is a feeling that young people should know 
about the church, join it, and make a real contribu- 
tion to its fellowship and activity program. 

IV. The question is, ‘‘How can we secure this result ?” 
The pastors’ classes of the ordinary catechetical 
type fail to secure active interest. 

B. The plan herein suggested is intended to meet this need 
through 
I. The creation of an active interest in the church on 
the part of boys and girls. 


tA plan prepared by the author. Reprinted by permission 
from the Congregationalist for March 15 and 22, 1923. 


86 


THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


IT. A presentation to the pastor or group leader of a 


III. 


fresh approach to the problem. 

A method which is educationally sound. It is 
believed that this method will develop in the boys 
and girls a real understanding of what a church is, 
a wholehearted loyalty to it, and an active partici- 
pation in its fellowship and tasks. 


" THE PLAN IN OUTLINE 


A. Launching the project 


I. 
. of immediate and personal interest. One may start 


II. 


It is essential to make the starting-point an event 


with the approach of the annual consecration day 
or week, but.is’far better if a special event can be 
utilized. The results will be commensurate with 
the interest taken by the pupils themselves in the 
enterprise. 

Events suggesting a point of departure and the 
activities which might be set going are: 

1. The dedication or rededication of a church or por- 

tion of a church, parish house, etc. 

Lead the group to plan and carry out a pro- 
gram of dedication, or at least a definite portion 
of a program. 

2. A church anniversary 

The boys and girls may be stimulated to 
produce a similar program which shall give a 
picture of the church in the past, in the present, 
and in the future. 

3. The selection of a new minister or church-school 
superintendent 

The young people may build a welcome pro- 
gram similar to the service of installation carried 
out by the adults of the church. 


iit 


Le 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 87 


4. A spoken or written criticism of the church in 
general or of the local church 
A program may be arranged in which the boys 
and girls constructively defend the church. 
5. The destruction of a church by fire or other means 
A survey involving appreciation of the church 
and an appeal for loyalty. 
6. The annual financial canvass 
Studies of the church budget, giving mission- 
ary programs, plays, or pageants, preparing 
exhibits, and direct assistance in the canvass. 
7. The approach of the annual consecration period 
Help the young people build their own program 
of consecration as they come into membership 
or take a forward step. 
Since the aim is to secure intelligent loyalty to the 
church on the part of these new members, the use 
of any event and the building of any program, 
such as suggested in 1-6 above, will include the 
element of consecration suggested by 7, that is, 
events and programs are occasions which we may 
utilize to secure an active and thoughtful allegiance 
to the church on the part of our boys and girls. 


The interest in events such as these should be 
capitalized. The first meeting should begin with 
the discussion of the event and an endeavor to secure 
a decision by the pupils to undertake the program 
or activity suggested. When this purpose has been 
adopted, a plan of action in accordance with the 
following suggestions may be formed. 


B. The plan in general 


ib 


Include in the class or group those boys and girls 
who are prospective church members, or better, 


88 


Lie 


PET 


IV. 


THe Project PRINCIPLE 


all of common age and development, that a decision 
for some forward step may be made by all. One or 
two church-school teachers or club leaders in close 
touch with these young people may help in guiding 
various parts of the program. 

Develop such temporary organization of the group 
with officers and committees as may be necessary 
to accomplish its purpose. 

Plan for a series of regular meetings at a suitable 
time, and such other meetings as are found advisable 
as the activity proceeds. 

The execution of the plan will include emphasis 
upon thoughtful discussion, worship, and a variety 
of activities, all sub-projects undertaken to fulfil 
the central purpose. 


. Provide for participation by the boys and girls 


in the carrying out of the project. Have them 
feel that the program and all it includes is to set 
forth the importance of the church in the life of the 
individual, the community, and the world, and that 
the responsibility is largely theirs of setting forth 
this message in the most effective way. 


C. Suggested activities or sub-projects. In elaborating 
upon the foregoing purpose, the following things to do 
are suggested: 


I. 


IT. 


Preparing a program for the dedication or other 
event, including items of music, prayers, talks, 
scripture, and responsive reading, pageants, cere- 
monies, etc., and assigning of parts. (This is the 
central project around which those listed below 
might be gathered.) 

A discussion of the purpose of a church and there- 
fore what the aim of the planned program should be. 


III. 


IV. 


VI. 


VII. 


VIII. 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 89 


Preparing those whom the program is to reach, to 

attend expectantly, that is, advertising by bulletins, 

posters, etc. 

Preparing a creed, ‘“‘statement of purpose,” or plat- 

form upon the basis of which. the boys and girls 

wishing to join the church might ask for member- 

ship. This may involve among other things: 

1. A study of the history of the local church and 
of certain points of church history in general. 

2. A discussion of the relation of the individual to 
the church. 

3. A comparative and historical study of creeds. 

4. A biographical study of some great Christian 
leaders, including former workers in the local 
church. 


. Preparing an exhibit in connection with the pro- 


gram, to include such things as: 

1. Scrapbooks containing pictures of famous 
churches. 

2. Papers and reports, prepared by the members of 
the group, on various topics. 

3. Drawings and models of great churches, plans 
of modern church and church-school plants, and 
the like. 

Visits to important and famous churches near at 

hand. 

Organizing the boys and girls into a department of 

the church, and seeking with them and for them a 

definite place in the life and work of the church. 

Gathering statistical and informational material; 

for example, ‘‘How many Christian leaders has our 

local church given to the world during its exist- 
ence?” ‘“‘What has this church done for the com- 
munity ?” 


go 


THE Project PRINCIPLE 


D. Source material for the leader and pupils: 


I. 


II. 


Ii: 


Reference and source books, such as church 
manuals, pastors’ manuals, statements of creed, 
and the like. 

General church histories and data on the history of 
the local church. 

Stories of how churches are founded, from the 
Church Building Society and Home Missionary 
Society. 


. Books and articles discussing the function of the 


church in the community and in the world. 


. Anniversary and dedication programs. 
VI. 


Pictures and building plans of churches. 


E. Teaching suggestions: 


1s 


Pt 


IIl. 


Make a tentative outline of the ground to be cov- 

ered, that is, consider the fundamental ideas and 

ideals you wish the children to acquire as a result of 
carrying through the activities outlined above. 

Secure active participation by the members of the 

group through such means as: 

1. Assigning to individuals or committees the 
preparation of reports, exhibits, and portions 
of the program. 

2. Helping them to work out their own creed or 
‘statement of purpose,” and present it to the 
local church authorities for their approval. (See 
Question 7 below.) 

3. Giving them parts in the program of dedication 
or welcome, or in the survey or canvass. 

Make as much use as possible of material in the 

form of stories, pictures, or personal experiences of 

pupils and the leader. 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT QI 


IV. The following brief thought-questions are sug- 
gestive. Formulate many others. 

1. What did Jesus mean by the church he founded ? 

2. What should be the place of the church in the 
life of today ? 

3. What are the important facts in the history of 
the Christian church? In our local church? 

4. What does our church (denomination) stand for? 
How is it different from others ? 

s. Who are the leaders of our church (denomination) 
today ? 

6. Why should a boy or girl join this church ? 

7. Would a simple statement of purpose made by 
boys and girls of twelve to sixteen years of age, 
fulfilling the spirit of the adult members’ creed, 
be acceptable as a basis of membership ? 


A WORLD-FRIENDSHIP COURSE? 


Through the months of April and May we are to stress 
our “‘ World-Friendship” program. The way of taking this 
program up will differ in the various departments no doubt, 
but in a general way I suggest the following method with the 
hope that every one of the pupils in the school will be bene- 
fited by having received a broader knowledge of and a 
wider sympathy for those who live in other lands and 
circumstances. 


REASONS FOR TRAINING IN WORLD-FRIENDSHIP 


1. “Christianity which is not international has never known 
its Master.” 


« A plan prepared and used by George S. Yaple, director of 
religious education, in the North Woodward Avenue Congrega- 
tional Church School, Detroit, Michigan. The ‘‘outcomes” of 
this plan are given in Part II, Description No. 75, p. 345. 


Q2 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


2. Jesus said, ‘‘Go into all the world and preach the 
gospel.” 

3. America can never rid herself of the foreigner, so we 
should attempt to know something of the background 
of those whom we have to Americanize. We have no 
choice in the matter. The immigrant will become 
Americanized just so thoroughly and rapidly as we help 
him to become so. 

4. God’s plan for establishing his Kingdom upon earth is one 
in which you and I must co-operate in order to bring it 
about. 


OUR PLAN OF PROCEDURE 


On the second Sunday of April please present to your 
pupils in the class period the foregoing four reasons for con- 
sidering world-friendship. Also discuss our own denomina- 
tional “fields” in which we are trying to establish our work 
fora better world. ‘The Congregational ‘‘fields”’ of endeavor 
are: 


1. The Immigrants in Detroit 

2. The Dakota Indians 

3. The Mountain Whites of Tennessee 

4. The Negro of the South 

5. In Europe—Spain, Czecho-Slovakia, Greeks, Bulgarians, 
and Turks. 

6. In Asia—Japan, China, India 

7. Africa 

8. Philippines 


From this list direct the pupils in choosing one field to 
study and for which to do something. 

You, as the teacher, must force yourself (if needs be) 
to be interested in this phase of Christian education or the 
pupils surely will not be. 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 93 


Having chosen your project continue from week to 
week along the following lines: 


1. Ask pupils to look up and bring to class all information 
concerning their field—maps, stories, pictures represent- 
ing the habits and customs, products and beauties of that 
country. 

2. Assist the pupils in arriving at a conclusion as to the 
needs of the people whom they have chosen to study. 
For example, in India the caste system is of detriment to 
the progress of the country and the custom of child- 
marriage is a weak spot in the social and economic life. 

3. Gather together this information which the pupils bring 
in and compile it on charts or in huge scrapbooks. The 
poster-scrapbook method is for the visualization of 
results. What the pupil does, he best remembers. 
Below you will find a suggested list of sources of informa- 
tion relative to the many fields of study: 

a) Public library: 

National Geographic Magazine 

Around the World with Jack and Janet 

Under Marching Orders (China) 

Sanichar (India) 

Lamp Lighters across the Sea (Asiatic lands) 

Black Bearded Barbarian (China) 

Ann of Ava (India) 

Christian Americanization (Immigration) 

Stay-at-Home Journeys (General missionary 
education) 

India on the March (India) 

The Trend of the Races (Negro) 

Under Many Flags (Biographies) 

World Friendship, Inc. (An appeal for workers 
in the fields) 


94 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


In the Vanguard of a Race (Negro) 
The Magic Box (Negro) 
The Wonderland of India (Suitable for any age) 
Winona (Pamphlet on the Indian) 
All Things to All Men (Mountain Whites) 
b) Two letters from our missionaries in China 
c) One letter from our missionary in Bulgaria 
d) Several pamphlets on the frontier mission work for 
primary and junior pupils. 


4. While making your “field” studies draw suggestions from 
the pupils as to what they would like to do or make for 
the children or young people in order to show their 
friendship for them. 

In making this choice, let us keep in mind that what- 
ever we give or do, it is done or given in the spirit of 
friendly co-operation and not from the standpoint of 
“giving alms.” I think we can arrange to have an 
exchange of gifts from those to whom we give. 

The following is a suggested list of things which 
pupils in individual classes can make and give for their 
new ‘‘world-friends”’: 


a) Make toys and dress dolls for kindergarten children. 

b) Make scrapbooks of automobile pictures and motors. 

c) Make scrapbooks illustrating ‘‘Outdoor Sports,” 
“American Water Ways,’ “Boy or Girl Life in 
America,” or other such series. 

d) Make bead or paper necklaces for children. 

e) Make jig-saw puzzles for hospital patients. 

f) Send Christmas tree decorations for next Christmas. 

g) Make colored bags for Christmas candy. 

h) Cut up colored squares of cloth for patches. 

z) Send soap and toilet bags for foreign students in 
Chinese school. 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 95 


4) Send tools to the manual-training schools for Indians 
and Mountain Whites. 
k) Send complete sewing-bags to girls in foreign schools. 
1) Curtains, pillows, and linen for dormitory rooms in 
mission school. 
m) Layettes for hospitals. 
n) $10.00 to $25.00 will buy new tires for frontier 
preacher’s car. 
0) $3.00 per month will support a hospital bed in China. 
p) $25.00 will pay for scholarship for girl in school in 
India. 
qg) $25.00 will furnish bedroom in new Union Kinder- 
garten Training School in Foochow, China. 
These are a few definite things we can do. There are 
others. 


SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS 


There may be some classes which are so interested and 
engrossed in the course of study that they do not care to do 
away entirely with the lessons. If in such cases you can 
carry on this world-friendship project along with the lesson, 
it will be all right, but be sure to co-operate in this 
program. 

It would be fine if one or two classes would prepare a 
little missionary pageant or play, representative of the field 
of study which the pupils have chosen. ‘This could be given 
before the department or entire school. See the director 
for suggestions. 

The high-school classes of girls might arrange to give a 
series of missionary teas on Sunday evenings in the parish 
house when the entire school could come out. For a small 
charge light refreshments might be served, representing the 
various countries, e.g., iced tea and rice cakes for China; 
frost bites and cakes from the Far North. — 


96 THE PRojEcT PRINCIPLE 


Along with your friendship study it would be helpful to 
emphasize the matter of prayer. As soon as we become able 
to extend our prayers from self to others, we become more 
sympathetic toward others. Our world enlarges as our 
sympathies widen. Classes can compose ‘“‘class prayers.” 
Dr. Emerson's prayers in the Sunday bulletins can be 
studied and adapted. Books of prayers written for boys and 
girls of various. ages can be used. People need help in 
expressing themselves through prayer. 


A SERVICE PROJECT FOR JUNIORS 


A suggested plan for leaders of junior groups, with 
reference to their share in the country-wide campaign for 
relief of German children. 

I. Why do German children need help? 

1. Astory of conditions in Germany, hunger and suffer- 
ing, especially of children; lack of milk; cold houses; 
insufficient clothing; shoes, etc.; increased sick- 
ness and high death-rate. 

2. Biblical story, ending with: ‘It is not the will of 
your Father in heaven that one of these little ones 
should perish.’”’ Or, ‘Inasmuch as ye did it unto 
one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it 
unto me.” 

II. Are not the Germans guilty of bringing terrible suffering 
upon the world? Are they not our late enemies? 
Why should we help them? 

I. Some incidents from Hall Caine’s story, The Woman 
of Knockaloe, showing that enmity does not really 
exist between individuals of the two peoples. Also, 
stories of individual friendliness and self-sacrifice 
as between soldiers on both sides in the Great War. 


« A plan prepared by Benjamin S. Winchester, editorial staff, 
Congregational Publishing Society, Boston, Mass. 


CARRYING THROUGH A PROJECT 97 


2. The German children are innocent of hate and 
enmity. If they ever become our enemies it will be 
because they are taught to be such by their parents, 
out of their bitterness of suffering. On the other 
hand, it is possible to change their hate into love. 
For example, a new word has crept into the Russian 
language, ‘‘Are,”’ which means, not “The American 
Relief Expedition,” but “to give in a spirit of love 
and kindness.” 

3. Biblical story of David’s magnanimous treatment of 
Saul, ending with verse, “‘If thine enemy hunger, 
feed him; if he thirst, give him drink.” 

III. Why should we help ? 

1. There are two or three possibilities: 

a) We may not have heard of their need, in which 
case, of course, we have no responsibility. 

b) Having heard, we may carelessly dismiss the 
matter, or we may toss a little loose change, or 
the price of a movie ticket, into the collection 
basket. 

c) Or we may try to learn more and decide, in view of 
other things we are trying to help about, how much 
we can do for the German children. Then we shall 
have to think of ways in which we can help, rais- 
ing money, canvassing, writing letters, etc. 

2. Story of three men, priest, Levite, traveler (Good 
Samaritan). Also story of the givers (Widow’s 
Mite). Shall we belong to the ‘‘ majority,” the two- 
thirds who pass by, or shall we do something ? 

IV. What can we do to help? 

1. How much shall we try to raise? What will $5.00 
do for German children? Shall we try to set as our 
goal $5.00, $10.00, $15.00, $20.00, or how much? 


98 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


2. When must it be paid in to be on time? Get infor- 
mation on all the points from Federal Council Com- 
mission, Rev. Ernest Lyman Mills, D.D., 105 East 
22d Street, New York City. 

3. How shall we get it ? 

a) Save it out of our allowance ? 

6) Earn it, individually, by doing special jobs ? 

c) Give.a play or entertainment of some sort and 
charge admission ? 

d) Other ways? 

4. Organize the class to carry out the plans agreed upon 
by such dates as may be fixed. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Hosic, J. F. Articles in the Journal of Educational Method, 

Vol. II: 

“The Réle of the Teacher in the Project Method. 
I,” No. 4, December, 1922, pp. 156-59. 

“The Réle of the Teacher in the Project Method. 
II,” No. 5, January, 1923, pp. 204-7. 

“The® Réle#of the Teacher in the Project Method. 
III,” No. 6, February, 1923, pp. 249-52. 

“Types of Projects and Their Technique,” No. 7, 
March, 1923, pp. 288-93. 





For method in specific projects see descriptions in 
chapter ii (public-education projects) and Part II (religious- 
education projects). 


CHAPTER VII 
DISCOVERING PUPILS’ INTERESTS 


We have seen in preceding chapters that one very 
necessary element of successful project-teaching is a 
close acquaintance with the interests of one’s pupils. 
The teacher must know the likes and dislikes, the 
individual differences, the native abilities, and past 
experiences of boys and girls to secure hearty 
co-operation in every stage of the carrying out of a 
project. A knowledge of these is vital in order to arouse 
initial interest, to secure clear-cut statements of pur- 
pose and the formation of well-organized plans, as well 
as to carry forward each step of execution, and to judge 
the effect of the experience upon each child. In 
character-education especially is this fact important. 
It is relatively easy to discover the interests of pupils 
when one is to teach a subject or a skill which has to do 
with but a segment of life. Since character, however, 
has to do with all of life, a knowledge of many interests 
is required. 

One of the greatest drawbacks to successful church- 
school teaching at the present time is this lack of 
acquaintance with the pupils whom we teach. The 
situation, in spite of many signs of improvement, is 
being made more difficult by the changing character of 
our social life. Social intercourse on the basis of 
neighborhood groups in small communities is being 


99 


100 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


replaced by fellowship on the basis of vocation, wealth, 
racial ancestry, and other factors. The teachers in our 
smaller rural and village church schools have a real 
advantage from this viewpoint. But the larger our 
churches grow, the more difficult it becomes for church- 
school workers to teach pupils, for they do not know 
their real interests. 

A casual éxamination of our church-school pro- 
cedure reveals the weakness at this point. How much 
time does the average teacher spend in learning about 
his pupils? We speak always of preparing the lesson. 
Practically no time is spent in an attempt to find out 
just what experiences the boys and girls under our 
tutelage are having in order that to them we may bring 
just that new experience which they need. We begin 
our meeting with them by asking, ‘‘ Where did we leave 
Moses last Sunday?’ One hundred and sixty-seven 
hours have passed but, as far as we are concerned, they 
are silent hours, a closed book. And yet we are sure 
we are teaching boys and girls; we are putting the pupil 
first! It may be that we have taken a course in child 
psychology and learned to define such terms as 
“Instinct”? and ‘“‘apperception”’ and jthe “will,” but 
it seems to work little change in our attitude toward 
our pupils. If they persist in talking football or dress 
when the class opens we proceed to say after a bit, 
“Now we have talked long enough about that; let’s 
take up the lesson.” Or perhaps we reverse the process 
and bargain with them to talk about some of these 
matters dear to the hearts of young people the last ten 
minutes, if they will only pay attention! How forget- 


DISCOVERING PUPILS’ INTERESTS IOI 


ful we are of the real value of a course in psychology 
which ought to have helped us to find in the interests of 
everyday life the starting-point of a real lesson and to 
teach that lesson, rather than the one prescribed by 
the denominational quarterly made in Boston, New 
York, or Chicago. The abundance of rich material 
thus prepared at headquarters loses a large part of its 
value because we follow it so slavishly in one, two, 
three order, rather than as a source book to help us to 
meet the real problems of boys and girls. 

On the other hand we note the increasing success of 
new types of organizations whose work may be char- 
acterized by the phrase “living with boys (or girls).”’ 
True it is that many of the leaders of these clubs, 
troops, and societies do not know much about psy- 
chology as it is in books, but they are told to work and 
play with their young friends and to lead them in a 
program of activities (experiences) which are whole- 
some. And as they lead them they learn to love them 
and to teach as occasion arises lessons which are real, 
because they are prompted by discovery of a weakness 
of character or the vision of great possibilities. Such 
organizations with their through-the-week and through- 
the-year programs have much to teach the workers in 
the church school. After all, the most successful 
teachers in our Sunday schools of the past have been 
those who knew the intimate interests of boys and girls 
and lovingly provided for them such rich and helpful 
experiences that the teacher is always remembered 
although “‘the lessons” are forgotten! Our problem is 
that of making these real lessons still more valuable and 


102 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


lasting and in some way using the editors’ helps as 
means to that end. Before we can do this, however, 
we must come to have a compelling appreciation of the 
inner, as well as the outer, life of those whom we would 
teach. We must be able to live again those years of 
childhood and be at once boys with longings and men 
with the wisdom of years. 

An analysis of possible ways of discovering the 
interests of boys and girls suggests a fourfold division. 
Sharp distinction between the several groupings is 
neither possible nor desirable. We have been using 
some of these more than others. It is to be hoped, 
however, that the average teacher will find here con- 
crete ways of discovering the real pupils whom he is 
teaching, and that the teacher versed in the technique 
of psychology will also gather suggestions to give rich- 
ness of meaning to the technical terms learned. 


STUDY OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 


The method which comes first to mind when this 
subject is mentioned is the study of child psychology. 
This branch of human knowledge is a specialized form 
of psychology which brings together the facts taken 
from animal, social, abnormal, and other fields of 
general psychology. By means of such methods as 
the questionnaire, biographical studies, and observa- 
tion of individuals and groups, material of great value 
has been gathered. Some of this has been made 
available in technical form; considerable is in the de- 
scriptive form more suited to the less-trained teacher. 
We are enabled to know something of the native equip- 


DISCOVERING Pupits’ INTERESTS 103 


ment with which the child begins life, the ways these 
native tendencies develop at various periods and as a 
result of varied environmental experiences, and are 
given suggestions for their right direction and training. 
Child psychology has answered many of our questions 
and freed us from many of the fearful hindrances with 
which teachers of former generations had to contend.? 
Although the tendency of writers specializing in 
this subject has been toward a more helpful applica- 
tion of psychology to everyday life, many of our 
teachers find most child psychology too technical. 
There is no doubt that all teachers ought to be able to 
study such books with profit, and they probably would 
do so if they could once get a compelling vision of what 
it means to be a child. One temptation into which 
students of psychology often fall is that of thinking of 
“the child,” rather than in terms of individual children. 
It is to be noted that more recent books on the subject 
pay great attention to this fact and point out that child 
psychology after all is but a guide to help the teacher 
understand each child with whom he is dealing. 


NON-TECHNICAL HELPS 


There are, in addition to books dealing directly 
with child psychology, a number of other sources of 
information regarding the life of children and youth. 
These are non-technical and not always to be relied 


* The Pilgrim Press has published an excellent little booklet, 
What Grandmother Did Not Know, by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, 
in which she sets forth most interestingly the debt we owe to 
modern child psychology. 


104 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


upon for their psychological accuracy, but they serve 
excellently to make vivid to the teacher the real 
interests of his pupils. The author has a conviction 
that it would be preferable to have our beginning 
workers study child psychology by means of a course 
made up of some of the elements that are suggested 
under the following headings. If those teachers in 
training who are now studying texts were giving also 
an equal amount of time and attention to such types of 
study and observation, they too would be greatly 
benefited. The abstractness of much study of “the 
pupil’ would disappear. 

1. The reading of books giving a general back- 
ground would greatly help teachers to see more clearly 
the interests and attitudes of their pupils. Moore’s 
The Youth and the Nation, Jane Addams’ The Spirit of 
Youth and the City Streets, Margaret Slattery’s The Girl 
and Her Religion or The American Girl and Her Com- 
munity, and that recent interpretation of the new youth 
movement abroad by Stanley High, The Revolt of Youth, 
are but illustrative of a large number of exceedingly 
helpful titles. A  church-school teacher should be 
constantly reading along this line. 

2. The magazines and newspapers are always carry- 
ing articles dealing with the problems of teaching chil- 
dren. Such writers as McKeever and Angelo Patri are 
frequent contributors. 

3. Literature offers a wide range of stories and semi- 
biographical material in which the characteristics of 
children and young people are portrayed in a most 
entertaining fashion. Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and 


DISCOVERING PUPILS’ INTERESTS 105 


Huckleberry Finn, Tarkington’s Penrod and Seventeen, 
Ferber’s Herself, Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Aldrich’s 
Story of a Bad Boy, Porter’s Freckles and The Girl of the 
Limberlost, Dodge’s Hans Brinker, Fox’s The Little 
Shepherd of Kingdom Come, Rice’s Mrs. Wiggs of the 
Cabbage Patch, Rhinehart’s Bab, Martin’s Emmy Lou, 
and the poems of such writers as Whittier, Field, and 
Riley are excellent sources upon which to draw to keep 
alive one’s appreciation of the joys and griefs of child- 
hood. In this connection one must mention also the 
biographies of the great men and women who were real 
flesh-and-blood boys and girls once and whose experi- 
ences can cause us to see infinite possibilities in our 
pupils. 

4. It is gratifying to note that the stage and the 
moving-picture can help us discover the interests of 
young life. A great number of the masterpieces of 
literature are now being filmed. ‘To live for an hour or 
two as participant watchers while the instincts and 
habits of youth are revealed in so vivid a fashion will 
give us more sympathy with the yearnings of growing 
life. 

5. Another source of help in keeping ourselves 
reminded of the interests of pupils is the cartoon in 
the daily paper. Many of these are excellent; as, for 
example, such series as “‘The Thrill That Comes Once 
in a Lifetime,” “The Days of Real Sport,” “ Gasoline 
Alley,” “ Metropolitan Movies,” ‘‘The Little Scorpion’s 
Club,” “Tomboy Taylor,” “When a Feller Needs a 
Friend,” or “‘Life’s Darkest Moment.’’ Who has not 
rejoiced or sorrowed with these characters and renewed 


106 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


the spirit of youth a bit when these and other cartoons 
met his eye? 

6. One of the best ways to know child life is to watch 
it in action. Purposeful observation will repay any 
church-school teacher for time spent. One seldom does 
casual observing or gets relatively little from it. But. 
a visit to a playground or school with the express pur- 
pose of seeing psychology in action is much more 
effective than the study of books. The book can tell 
us what to look for, but it cannot give us the needed 
experience. If the leaders of our training classes study- 
ing child psychology would make use of observation 
work and the sources outlined above in connection 
with text study, the course would not only be more edu- 
cative but less abstract, and would keep its members 
longer. 

PERSONAL CONTACT 

One of the largest contributions to the discovery of 
the interests of pupils is made by the personal contact 
of the teacher. Reference has been made to the success 
of types of work in character-education in which the 
fellowship of leader and young person is an outstanding 
factor. We are being led to see more and more clearly 
that only through a long and steady process of fellow- 
ship on a Christian basis can we develop the right type 
of Christians. Fellowship is more fundamental to 
character-education than to any other kind.t_ Too long 
we have been trying to develop the ideal way of life in 
the young by means which failed to recognize this 


™See G. A. Coe, A Social Theory of Religious Education, 
chap. viii. 


DISCOVERING PuPILs’ INTERESTS 107 


principle. Emphasis has been laid upon the formal 
class which met at stated intervals and sought repetition 
of catechetical phrases. Energy has been spent in 
spasmodic emotional appeals at annual harvest times. 
Redemption has been sought by thinking of book 
material as the important factor. Little attention has 
been paid to what kind of activities and experiences 
were being provided hour after hour and day after day 
by society, which after all were making for character, 
good or bad. Nor have we realized that the central 
factor in those experiences was the person who was guid- 
ing the experience or activity. Far too large a propor- 
tion of the experiences which children have are either 
planned for the sake of dividends for stockholders or 
are left to the unsupervised neighborhood play group. 
We are coming to see, however, that all the experiences 
of children, since they make for character, must be 
directly or indirectly under the control of Christian 
leaders. From this standpoint we see the value of the 
personal contact of a church-school teacher with his 
pupils. 

Mere amount of living with boys and girls does not, 
of course, enable a teacher to handle every situation as 
it should be handled. It is here that child psychology 
comes in. But fellowship is essential, and many a 
teacher with a love of children and young people, witha 
willingness to spend himself, to use common sense, and 
to keep young, has wrought marvelously. ‘To say that 
we can dispense with psychology would be folly; but 
to say that character can be developed without fellow- 
ship is equal folly. 


108 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Elaboration of the opportunities for personal con- 
tact is not necessary. Visiting in the homes of pupils 
is a first essential. Think of a social-service worker 
attempting to make a recommendation in a probation 
case without knowing in detail the home life of the 
child! It is gratifying to note that the teachers in the 
Gary week-day schools of religion are now spending 
one day each week visiting in the homes of their 
scholars. ‘Think of the values resulting from partici- 
pation with children in their play and social life. How 
can one teach a boy unless he knows his vocational 
aspirations or sees him in his workshop or office? 
How can one teach a girl who does not know something 
of her school life, her studies, her teachers, her class- 
mates? Every teacher can take advantage of the near- 
at-hand opportunities to fellowship with young people 
in the life of the church itself. The value even of the 
Sunday hour can be greatly enhanced if its spirit can be 
that of a fellowship where an older and some younger 
friends talk over the week’s experiences and measure 
them by the ideals of the Master. It is this ability 
thus to “interpret life religiously’ that makes for the 
best teaching where character is concerned; but no 
teacher can interpret life who does not know at first 
hand the lives his pupils are living. 


SPECIAL REPORTS 


Special reports, obtained in various ways, are help- 
ful in enabling the teacher to know the lives of his 
pupils more intimately. Information gained in this 
way is a valuable supplement to personal contacts 


DISCOVERING Pupits’ INTERESTS 109 


between teacher and pupil. When teachers find it 
quite impossible to spend time with their pupils such 
reports are a partial substitute. Schools which have 
many teachers whose time is so taken up that they find 
little opportunity of fellowship with their boys and girls 
are urged to consider the advisability of report systems 
such as these. Many of our better-equipped schools are 
doing much along this line with their record systems. 
General information cards are filled out by parents and 
pupils and filed in the office. Report cards of pupils’ 
progress are sent to parents regularly for their inspec- 
tion and certification. Many teachers try to visit the 
parents of their pupils and get verbal reports from them 
about Mary or John. Others have their pupils fill out 
questionnaire blanks giving confidential information 
regarding their personal interests. 

Certain more definite attempts have been made to 
secure for teachers significant facts in the lives of chil- 
dren. The Union School of Religion has sought the 
co-operation of parents by sending them carefully 
prepared blanks with directions for reporting.t The 
writer has prepared and used a set of report blanks 
which might be adapted easily to use in any school, no 
matter how small.2 A Detroit church school has 
devised a teacher-observation plan. All of these and 
others which are being used elsewhere are attempts to 
do this important work of helping teachers discover 
pupils’ interests. The movement is new, plans are 

* Described in the article referred to in the bibliography, 
“Co-operative Study of the Religious Life of Children.” 

2 Forms used are given in Part III, Appendix, Section II. 


IIO THe PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


imperfect, and teachers are slow to convince, but these 
experiments point to a new emphasis in religious 
education. 

THE DIAGNOSIS PRINCIPLE 


If diagnosis is an accepted principle in the field of 
medicine, in dealing with juvenile delinquency, and in 
analyzing capacities to determine the right kind of 
education necessary for vocational success, why should 
it not be applied to character-education? If our boys 
and girls in their task of achieving character are con- 
fronted with problems hard to solve, we as teachers and 
leaders ought to know them. With careful analysis of 
these problems and the conditions involved we are then 
enabled to give the special direction and help needed. 
There are indications that teachers will be assisted 
more and more to meet particular situations in which 
character is involved. That is, when pupils act thus 
and thus, the teacher’s manual will suggest ways and 
means of dealing with the situation. It will be a kind 
of first-aid manual in character-education. ‘The experi- 
ences of other teachers and church-school workers will 
be at the disposal of those meeting ‘‘problem”’ situa- 
tions, involving individual pupils or wide groups. 


SOME RESULTS 


When we are so thoroughly convinced of the 
necessity of discovering the interests of our pupils that 
we make provision for it in our plans of teaching, includ- 
ing courses of study and school administration, several 
results will ensue. Teachers will. take a more personal 
interest in their pupils. With personal fellowship thus 


DISCOVERING PuPILs’ INTERESTS III 


prominent, the teacher will not ask, ‘“‘How can I teach 
this lesson ?”? but, “How can I help John to be more 
thoughtful of his parents, to decide upon the best kind 
of life-work, or to do team work ?” ‘This shift of atten- 
tion from material to be used to the pupil’s problem is 
a great gain for good teaching in the church school. 
With the new and desirable emphasis upon profes- 
sional teachers for our church schools we must be on 
our guard at one point. ‘The danger is not that the 
paid worker will lose the spirit of love, for it is because 
of this that he has entered a distinctly “service” pro- 
fession. It is rather that parents and church mem- 
bers in general will think that they can fellowship by 
proxy and let the paid, professional leader do their 
loving and living with boys and girls for them. All 
the church must engage in the fellowship process. 
Professional workers may show us what to do; the rest 
of us must be ready to give the personal association 
so vitally important to the development of Christian 
character. 

There is no better way to learn how character 
habits develop than by watching pupils earnestly. 
Every experience will come to have its significance. 
The laws of good teaching will come to mean more 
than words. As teachers watch pupils grow, in meeting 
and overcoming difficulties with their encouragement 
and skilfully giving assistance, they will become expert 
in meeting situations and difficulties in the lives of each 
oncoming generation. Formal rules for dressing up 
ready-made lessons to bait pupils will be supplanted by 
searching for and applying experience material to help 


112 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


the pupil face his present situation and form the habit- 
ual response which marks a Christian character. 

With the securing of the vital points of contact 
which result from knowing one’s pupils there will 
come increasing ability to initiate worth-while projects. 
Experiences, in which pupils gladly engage, into which 
they put their best thought and energy, and as a 
result of which come educational values accompanied by 
a feeling of personal achievement—such experiences will 
be more common as teachers discover their real pupils. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


No attempt is made here to list books on child psy- 
chology. The following references have to do only with 
methods of child study and the means used in successful 
church schools to secure co-operation between the church 
school and the home. 


Cope, Henry F. Organizing the Church School, chap. xx. 
Doran. 

Hartshorne, Hugh. ‘Co-operative Study of the Religious 
Life of Children,” Religious Education, XVI (De- 
cember, 1921), 337-46. (Can also be obtained in 
reprint form from the Religious Education Association, 
308 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago.) 


Childhood and Character, chaps.iv and vi. Pilgrim 
Press. 


Lobingier, John L. ‘Do Parents Know the Teachers ?’’ 
Church School, V ( January, 1924), 156-58. 

Meyers, A. J. W. “Plans That Have Promoted Co- 
operation between the Home and the Church School,”’ 
Religious Education, XVIII (April, 1923), 117-19. 

Shaver, E. L. ‘A Plan for Securing Co-operation of 
Parents,’ Part ITI, Appendix, Section IT, of this volume. 





CHAPTER VIII 


THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE AND 
THE CURRICULUM 


The curriculum has been viewed in a previous 
chapter as a series of experiences or projects taking 
their value for religious education from the fact that 
they stand the test of certain criteria. Christian educa- 
tion projects have been measured by the extent to 
which the pupil (a) purposes in accordance with the 
highest Christian ideal, (6) carries his purpose through 
to completion, (c) thereby makes the most useful and 
needed contribution possible for him to the furtherance 
of the Christian enterprise, and (d) shares his experience 
with others on a thoroughly Christian basis. 

The problem of the curriculum has also been 
touched upon at other points in the earlier discussion. 
As a consequence we discover that there are several 
facts regarding character-building experience which are 
ordinarily overlooked in the building of a curriculum. 
Let us consider these new emphases. 

1. The central purpose of the experiencer is not so 
much to acquire a way of doing things as to get some- 
thing done. The way or ways are by-product out- 
comes. When one finds himself unable to accomplish 
his purpose because of a lack of skill or knowledge, then 
the particular skill or knowledge necessary may become 
central in his mind and the methods of acquiring it are 


Er? 


II4 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


by-products. For the most part, for example, the 
pupil, according to the project principle, does not strive 
to develop certain Christian virtues, centering his atten- 
tion upon the virtue as such. He purposes rather to 
undertake some concrete enterprise in the Christian 
spirit... As he engages in the task with a Christian 
motive, he becomes more skilled in the Christian way 
of life. He has begun the formation of a habit of acting 
more lovingly, he “knows the teaching”’ and the why 
of it, and he feels himself identified with a Loving 
Purpose. The emphasis is not upon lists of virtues, 
as themes or subjects, but worth-while things to do. 

2. Again, following the project principle we must 
provide a curriculum in which new experiences are 
initiated by the pupil. It is not sufficient that the 
curriculum be confined to the experiences of the past 
which the pupil is expected to re-live. We must see to 
it that the program of experiences re-makes itself 
constantly. Pupils are to be encouraged to reach out 
and make discoveries which even their teachers have 
.not made. The project concept will not allow for a 
static curriculum. 

3. The realm of educative experience includes 
vastly more material than that given in the pages of a 
text. It includes all the things in the environment of 
the pupil, the kind of church in which he worships, its 
furniture and equipment, his home, his playground, his 
public-school building, and a vast range of inanimate 
objects. It includes, and this is of greater importance, 


* Cf. Hugh Hartshorne, Childhood and Character, pp. 180-81; 
also Luke 9: 24. 


THE CURRICULUM II5 


the persons with whom he associates. For they can 
determine what kind of experiences he shall have and 
just what things he shall perceive with his senses. 
They may so arrange his physical world that he reacts 
with a sense of beauty, reverence, harmony, or strength; 
or they may arrange it to produce the opposite; or, 
what is usually the case, they leave the arrangement to 
chance and think that the only lesson isina book. The 
persons with whom a child lives and the things which 
they do are a very important part of the curriculum. 
“The curriculum,” says Cope, “is all that which we 
organize in order to form a purposeful experience for 
those who are learning.’’? 

4. According to the project idea the curriculum is 
made up of a few type-experiences rather than a great 
number. We have seen the increasing impossibility 
of having a child Jearn every fact that has ever been 
taught, not only in the public school, but also in the 
church school. Fortunately we are finding that such a 
conception of education is not necessary. The school 
is to teach the child to think, to acquire ways of meeting 
life-situations, rather than to fill him with knowledge. 
Christian education aims to help the child live as a 
Christian. It is not necessary that he become 
acquainted with all the experiences of all people in all 
generations who have lived in this way. ‘The selection 
of a few such type-experiences as are productive of an 
outcome of active, intelligent love is sufficient. For 
example, if acquaintance with any one of a half-dozen 
mission fields will result in a missionary spirit equally 


t Organizing the Church School, p. 112. 


II6 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


strong, and if for various reasons it is far easier to 
create a real interest in one than in the other five, is it 
not better to concentrate than to scatter the teacher’s 
efforts? If character results are the goal, we are to 
choose from a wide variety of possible experiences of 
similar nature those which best produce the results. 
It would be far better if we cease to teach 52 or 104 
lessons a year which apparently are of equal value and 
on the same plane of dead-level monotony and were to 
lead the pupil through a half-dozen outstanding experi- 
ences with depth, reality, vividness, and a sense of 
personal value. Associated with these great experi- 
ences there would be, of course, a multiplicity of asso- 
ciated lessons of greater or less worth. 

It is interesting to note that the great character 
goals have been taught in all periods of the world’s 
history through the medium of the aspirations and tasks 
predominant in each period. Faith, gratitude, loyalty, 
truth, sacrifice, and the all-inclusive goal of love have 
been outcomes of the experiences connected with the 
tasks of Christians in each generation of our own 
country’s history. The establishment of the colonies, 
the struggle for freedom, the abolition of slavery, the 
temperance movement, the missionary campaigns, the 
present endeavor to secure world-peace, and the coming 
problems of industrial brotherhood have successively 
furnished and will furnish the experiences for Chris- 
tian character-education. The bases of value for each 
generation are the criteria previously given. For pur- 
poses of educating the young the contemporary 
experiences have been of major worth in each period 


THE CURRICULUM 117 


and those most like them from the past are selected to 
lend authority and guidance." 


EXISTING CURRICULA EVALUATED 


A measurement of existing courses according to the 
criteria we have laid down for evaluating projects shows 
that most of them fall far short of the desired standard. 
Few of the experiences provided can be purposefully 
entered into by the pupil. He has no choice of alter- 
native experiences. The course is rigidly set. It is 
uniform for all types of pupils, for all types of churches, 
and remains the same year after year. For these 
reasons the units are for the most part built up without 
reference to the real problems of pupils. 

With a few exceptions the experience provided is 
incomplete. The courses provide only for acquiring 
information. Practically no provision is made for ac- 
quiring character habits. Where service programs or 
expressional activities are suggested they are viewed as 
something added on, and are therefore very unreal and 
extra-curricular, having little vital connection with the 
instruction material. Programs of temperance and 

t Note the tendency to utilize as source material the messages 
from the prophets and to prize less certain earlier portions of the 
Old Testament. 

Query: As curriculum material to form a habit of willingness 
to sacrifice which would you expect to have the greatest value: 
(a) the story of Abraham offering up Isaac, (6) the story of the 
death of Horace Tracy Pitkin during the Boxer massacre, or 
(c) having your pupils deny themselves movies, chewing gum, 
and sodas for a week to send money to the Armenians? How 


would you relate these to each other in time spent in your program 
and how would you use them? 


118 Tur Project PRINCIPLE 


missionary education and service have had to fight their 
way into the curriculum. Doubtless it will be the same 
with other real Christian problems unless we change our 
conception of what is understood by an educative and 
unified course in Christian character-building. 

Measured by the criterion of making a contribution 
to a more Christian world, the greater number of the 
experiences provided have little practical reference. 
Most of the place is given to telling what ought to be 
done or how it was done long centuriesago. The excep- 
tion is in the case of temperance, missions, and social 
service, which are quite “extra-curricular.” Temper- 

‘ance and missionary experiences at first were largely 
limited to exhortation and information-giving. More 
recently there has been considerable progress especially 
in missionary education. For the most part whatever 
practical assistance is given to the various portions of 
the great Christian enterprise is left to the initiative of 
the local teacher or school, and little guidance is given 
by the curriculum-makers. 

With the same exceptions we have made above, the 
present curricula do not provide for the sharing of 
experience by groups. ‘The experience of belonging to 
an organized class which has elected officers to secure a 
denominational certificate is trifling beside that of 
belonging to a class which has purposed as a group to 
present new and up-to-date hymnals to their school, to 


™See the plan entitled World Service Schools devised, by 
Herbert W. Gates, of the Congregational Education Society. 
This plan will bear careful study as an embodiment of advanced 
educational principles in the field of missionary education. 


THe CURRICULUM | II9 


entertain children of foreign birth from another school, 
or to give to Armenian orphans. What is there in most 
of our courses which suggests the necessity of 
co-operative purposing, planning, and execution? Or 
which suggests that two or more classes, departments, 
or schools band themselves together jointly and more 
efficiently to effect a clean-up of political or moral evils 
in the community? ‘This emphasis upon co-operative 
experience is left to chance extra-curricular activities 
or agencies by builders of courses. 

The general failure of existing curricula for our 
church schools is due to the fact that they are text 
courses. That is, they are largely a collection of fact 
and informational material which is to be digested by 
the pupil with the hope that the possession of the 
knowledge will guarantee right conduct. These texts 
do contain excellent source material of a certain type. 
The biblical material is improving in character, 
although there is still an avoidance of including too 
much that is outside the Bible. When the Bible and 
extra-biblical material are viewed as sources of help for 
teachers and pupils in facing their present difficulties 
and in carrying forward their Christian activities, then 
the larger part of these curricula will have increased 
value. 

Just outside the church school, but very closely 
related to it in purpose, are a number of organizations 
engaging in character-education. These agencies have 
conceived their function as that of providing a program 
of training to include a variety of experiences, physical, 
mental, social, and religious. The curriculum is looked 


120 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


upon as including experiences with both things and 
persons. Character is the avowed outcome of these 
experiences. Such programs as the Christian Citizen- 
ship Training Program of the Y.M.C.A., the Canadian 
Standard Efficiency Training Program jointly promoted 
by the Y.M.C.A. and churches of Canada, the Girl 
Reserves of the Y.W.C.A., the Boy Scouts, the Camp 
Fire Girls, and the Girl Scouts come nearer the concept 
of an educative curriculum based on the project prin- 
ciple than any existing in our church schools. To be 
sure, they are not perfect. Some of them set a character 
goal which falls short of the Christian ideal in name 
(yet put many church schools to shame in practice); 
they do not encourage sufficient local initiative; they 
tend to do their best work in one field (as the physical) ; 
they set fixed goals as to the quality of character sought 
and tasks to be accomplished. Nevertheless, a study 
of the methods of these agencies as well as a study of 
the methods used by our better public-school systems 
in developing character would be very fruitful for our 
church-school leaders. 


THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE AS A TEST OF CURRICULA 


In the light of our discussion the project principle 
becomes a test of any curriculum. It does this in 
three ways. 

1. It results in the elimination of all material which 
cannot be made living experience for present or future 

t Extensive and thoroughgoing evaluations of the curricula 
of these agencies as well as those of the church school are given 


by Artman and Kilpatrick in the articles listed in the bibliography 
at the close of the chapter. 


THE CURRICULUM I2I 


use. Viewing all experience as source material to aid 
in the solution of the immediate problems of the pupil, 
it is easy to see that many things are eliminated which 
a rigidly fixed course includes. The fact, however, 
that pupils at some particular period do not find cer- 
tain past experience useful for their situation does not 
mean its consignment to utter oblivion. Stored away 
as reference material which is easily accessible, it is 
ready for any pupil at any time. Thus, there is a 
distinction between a working curriculum and a vastly 
larger amount of material on the reference-library 
shelves. 

2. It vivifies and increases the value of such mate- 
rials of experience as are deemed approptiate to the solu- 
tion of the problem. ‘The difficulty with much of our 
teaching is not the defectiveness of the material. It is 
the arbitrary method with which it is used. We insist 
upon arranging it in nice serial order and “‘sugar- 
coating’’ it with devices, rewards, and contests, and 
thus trying to force its lodgment in the pupil’s mental 
storehouse. If the pupil were conscious of a real need 
and went in search of help he would eagerly appro- 
priate for himself this very material. ‘Teachers who 
have patiently tried to discover the interests of their 
children report instances of this fact. 

3. It makes for the creation and discovery of new 
materials as they are needed. Instead of having to 
wait for revision of courses so as to include fresh sources 
of help for the facing of difficulties and the accomplish- 
ment of service, project teachers are free to make use 
of any and every course or portion of a course available. 


122 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


Missionary experience, social-service experience, inter- 
national good-will experience, and many other forms are 
brought in at the front door and not by the back or 
side entrance. This very freedom tends to stimulate 
the spirit of discovery and purposeful initiative on the 
part of both teacher and pupils. 


CAN WE HAVE A PROJECT CURRICULUM ? 


It is but natural that this question should be raised 
in connection with the theme of this chapter. A 
number of statements already made give us a partial 
answer. As a final answer we may say both “Yes” 
and “‘No.”? A project curriculum is not possible if we 
understand by the term curriculum a uniform, inflexible, 
static series of experiences imposed by overhead 
agencies with the aid of teachers. But if we understand 
the term curriculum to mean a rich fund of varied 
experiences, from which teachers and individual schools 
may select at any time those suited to their needs, and 
make room for new experiences which are pupil initi- 
ated, we may answer affirmatively. ‘The distinction 
made above between a large inclusive source curriculum 
and a present working curriculum applies here. The 
source material is the same for all schools although 
changing from year to year; the working curriculum is 
different for each school or class and also changes from 
year to year. 

Our church schools are more free to take the pro- 
ject view of the curriculum than are the public schools 
and other agencies for character-building. This is 
especially true at the present time. The new move- 





THE CURRICULUM 123 


ments for week-day and vacation schools, the multi- 
plicity of agencies competing with each other, and the 
new emphasis upon educational methods in religious 
teaching are all conducive to the new viewpoint. 
Many of our best teachers in week-day schools and in 
Sunday schools are breaking away and making their 
own courses. 


THE FUTURE CURRICULUM OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 


The outlook for the principles advocated in this 
chapter is encouraging. ‘There are a number of indica- 
tions that church-school leaders are awaking to the 
situation. Among these are such as the following. 

1. The builders of curricula are getting together to 
_ study co-operatively and to plan in the directions we 
have pointed out. ‘The conference of agencies working 
with boys and girls from twelve to seventeen years of 
age at Forest Hills is an indication of a new spirit and 
a hopeful outlook. A copy of the findings of this con- 
ference is given in the Appendix.’ 

2. There is a growing feeling that the experiences 
and curricula of each agency should be at the service 
of all. It should be possible for any local church to 
select any portion of any existing curriculum in the 
endeavor to build a program of Christian training 
adapted to its type of community. With all these 
courses and programs available to any church, it is 
evident that we have a rich reference library which is 
constantly growing in size. It has been suggested that 
there be made a codification of this source material 


t Section III. 


124 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


issued in the form of a worker’s manual to help leaders 
in local churches. 

3. From several quarters there are being issued new 
courses which utilize project principles to a greater or 
less degree.t They are designed to provide a series of 
activities on the Christian level to insure a more com- 
plete experience, instead of being mere collections of 
text material to be digested. They take the form of 
suggestive guidebooks, plans, and programs. They 
leave more room for participation by the pupils and 
are arranged to stimulate not only thought but action 
as well. Instead of limiting the pupil’s experience to 
book sources, he is sent to a variety of personal and 
place sources as described above to find out truth for 
himself through first-hand acquaintance. Directions 
are given as to where and how source material may be 
found. The problems are more nearly those of the 
everyday life of the pupils. 

4. In the coming curriculum of Christian education 
the teacher is to be recognized as the important factor. 
What the teacher causes to happen is to be viewed as 
more significant than what is printed in a textbook. 
More prominent place is to be given to guidance for the 
teacher in the leading of pupils in needed experiences. 


t Three excellent examples of such courses are: H. B. Hunt- 
ing, ““Week Day Program of Religious Training for Juniors,” 
Pilgrim Elementary Teacher, November and December, 1922, 
January, February, and March, 1923; J. L. Lobingier, World- 
Friendship through the Church School (The University of Chicago 
Press); J. E. Perkins, At School with the Great Teacher (Pilgrim 
Press) (see Descriptions Nos. 7 and 10, pp. 194 and 199, Part II). 


THE CURRICULUM 125 


Because of the increasing responsibility thus placed 
upon the teacher, less reliance will be placed on texts 
in the hands of the pupils. ‘Teaching is to become more 
and moreafineart. Further consideration of this place 
of the teacher is left for a later chapter. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Artman, Joseph. ‘‘Evaluation of Curricula for Week-Day 
Religious Education,” Religious Education, XVII 
(April, 1922), 151-61. 

Blashfield, H. W. “Expanding the Curriculum,” Church 
School, IV (June, 1923), 395-96. 

Bower, W. C. “A Suggestive Approach to the Recon- 
struction of the Curriculum of the School of Religion,”’ 
Religious Education, XII (June, 1917), 231-38. 

“The Proposed Program of the International 
Curriculum of Religious Education,” Church School, 
V (November, 1923), 82-83. 

Coe, George A. A Social Theory of Religious Education, 
chap. ix. Scribners. 

“Opposing Theories of the Curriculum.” Reli- 
gious Education, XVII (April, 1922), 143-5o. 

Cope, Henry F. Organizing the Church School, pp. 112-15 
and chap. xxi. Doran. 

Hartshorne, Hugh. Articles in the Church School, Vol. IV: 
““A School of the Christian Life— Curriculum,” No. 2, 
November, 1922, pp. 80-81. 

“A School of the Christian Life—Courses of Study,” 
No. 4, January, 1923, pp. 166-68. 

Kilpatrick, W. H. “A General View and Evaluation of 

Present Methods,” Religious Education, XIV (June, 


1910),'D23—35- 








126 THe PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Winchester, B. S. Articles in the Church School, Vol. I: 
“The Church School Curriculum,” No. 4, January, 
1921, pp. 151-53. 

“Christian Education for Growing Experience,’” No. 5, 
February, 1921, pp. 206-9. 

Findings of the Forest Hills Conference on Correlation of 
Programs, quoted in Part III, Appendix, Section III, 
of this volume, and in the Church School, for October, 
1923. The issues of this magazine for October and 
November, 1923, contain in addition other papers 
read at the Conference. 





CHAPTER: TX. 
USING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING 


In chapter iv the question was raised but left 
unanswered as to whether teaching in accordance with 
the project principle supplanted the use of those 
techniques of teaching with which we have been familiar 
as church-school workers. It is proposed in the present 
chapter to suggest the extent and manner of use of a 
number of these specialized aspects of the art of teaching. 
Following this there will be a discussion of the implica- 
tions of the project concept for teaching techniques as 
a whole. 

USE OF PRESENT TECHNIQUES 

One might view the art of the teacher as finding 
expression in the various types of lessons, or recitations. 
We would then consider the technique of teaching an 
inductive or deductive lesson, a drill lesson, and so on. 
But with some exceptions lessons in character-building 
as we have defined it do not easily fall into formal 
classification. Who can locate the recitation when a 
Christian boy is developing more and more responsi- 
bility, more and more of the spirit of co-operation, or is 
learning to sacrifice? ‘To be sure there will be types of 
activities and meetings, in one or more of which some 
meaningful change is observed to take place. The 
group will now plan and discuss, now hold a devotional 
service, now go on a camping expedition, now remedy a 


127 


128 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


needy situation, and so on. But this is quite different 
from type lessons. 

Likewise one might be led to think of techniques as 
the several steps in a lesson, as preparation, presenta- 
tion, and the rest. How these formal divisions of 
method have given place to less formal stages in the 
project-experience we have discussed in an earlier 
chapter. Ina more restricted sense, however, we take 
the term techniques to mean those specialized activi- 
ties of the teacher which have been used more or 
less in all steps of the teaching of a lesson, such as 
story-telling, questioning, lecturing, the use of illustra- 
tive material, drill and memorization, and examining. 
Each of these will be examined as to its place in project- 
teaching in religious education. 

Story-telling.—This art of teaching has been the 
predominant method in the case of younger children. 
With the advent of children’s sermons there has been a 
tendency to place great reliance upon it as a means 
of reaching adolescents. Valuable as it is, the project 
approach, in stressing actual experience, will use the 


story only as such complete experience is unattainable 


or impracticable. ‘This means more contact with real 
life and less with imaginary life. Because the story 
depends for its value upon imagination its worth as a 
means of bringing experience to adolescents is less than 
in the case of younger children. Many of the stories 
told to older children are flat, untrue to life, and depend- 
ent upon unreal analogies. ‘The scope of the use of this 
art may be narrowed, but its value in a more limited 


sphere will doubtless be increased. Good story-telling — 


SE 


UsING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING 129 


is needed to launch projects, to bring help in their plan- 
ning and execution, and in the final stage of criticism and 
evaluation. The leader who can tell stories well finds 
an excellent opportunity in services of worship, around 
the camp fire, or at the social gatherings of his class, as 
well as during the discussion meetings. At these times 
the teaching values of story-telling are as important 
according to the project principle as during formal 
lesson periods. Provided only that real stories, true 
to life and upholding the Christian ideal, are selected 
and well told, they may make a real contribution to 
project-teaching. The leader should be ready to tell 
a good story whenever the occasion arises and to 
encourage his pupils to do likewise. 

Questioning.—In general this technique is given a 
larger field in project-teaching than it has at present. 
Since questioning is necessary to a good discussion, and 
this is so vital an aspect of teaching according tothe 
project concept, the teacher will need skill here as never 
before. Pupils are to be set thinking and acting; there 
is scarcely a better way to accomplish this than by 
asking well-thought questions. At every stage of a 
project the development of purposeful participation 
and guidance according to highly educative standards 
require constant questioning. All types and kinds of 
questions are usable, but a large proportion of them 
should be thought-provoking and lead to the asking of 
further questions by the pupils of the teacher and of 
each other. One test of good questioning in project- 
teaching is the extent to which the leader’s questions 
keep before the pupils unsolved problems and unexecuted 


130 THE PRojECT PRINCIPLE 


projects and still arouse a spirit of wholehearted pur- 
posefulness to go forward. In whatever manner of 
project the class is engaged the leader will find an oppor- 
tunity to use the art of questioning. When a doubtful 
practice is discovered on the athletic field, when outdoor 
life suggests the presence of the God of nature, when 
social and political issues needing Christian interpreta- 
tion arise, or when the pupil faces critical personal 
problems, the teacher must be able to question well. 
It is not enough to be able to ask information-seeking 
questions about the material in a text on Sunday morn- 
ing; the field of character-development is too large. 
When guided by the project goal, questioning assumes 
an important réle as a leadership technique. 
Lecturing.—Giving information to pupils in the 
form of lectures is restricted in sphere under the project 
principle. Although even its advocates have tended 
to confine its use to young people and adults, even here 
it will take a relatively smaller place as a method of 
character-building. The educative value of informa- 
tion for pupils is dependent upon their purposing 
to search for it; much that is now given by the 
teacher will be acquired by the pupils themselves in 
other ways. Because telling is not teaching, and 
because the passive listening to a lecture short-cuts the 
complete psychological act, this technique of teaching 
is less and less being relied upon as a sole method of 
changing the characters of individuals. There will still 
remain many occasions and opportunities for the group 
leader to contribute information needed by the class 
to carry on its project. This information will be given 


UsING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING 131 


by others as well as the teacher, and the members of 
the class in their reports to the group will from one 
standpoint be lecturing. The formal lecturing that 
has characterized so much of our teaching will be broken 
up if we follow the project approach. From another 
viewpoint the material now given in lecture form will 
have greater value provided the members seek it. 
Lecturers will be invited to speak upon subjects for 
which they have special fitness, not merely to provide 
a series of interesting meetings, but to help in the suc- 
cessful execution of some Christian enterprise. The 
range of material given through the medium of lecture 
and the occasion of such lectures will have wider scope. 
Classes will hold midweek meetings, because one meet- 
ing a week will not be enough to accomplish their pur- 
pose. Young people will gladly listen to speakers tell- 
ing them about success in their vocation or giving the 
essential facts of sex; the pastor’s sermon will be eagerly 
awaited if he seeks to shed light upon the ways and 
means of making the church a constructive force in the 
community and the world; every political, scientific, 
and technical question discussed will give information of 
value if approached from the project viewpoint. The 
main difficulty has not been so much with the material 
of the lecture as that this has been made the sole way 
of developing character and that the method of cram- 
ming the facts into pupils has been employed. The 
project idea will remedy these two defects. The 
teacher will, therefore, be expected to be filled with 
lecture material or to provide others who are, and to 
give it forth wisely when the need arises. 


132 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


Use of illustrative material.—Project-teaching will 
certainly not make less use of this method; it is likely 
to utilize it more. At present most illustrations 
are pictures of Bible scenes and models of houses, 
furniture, tools, and the like used by the ancient 
Hebrews. Recently the scope has increased to include 
similar material from mission fields. It is true to the 
project idea that this increase of scope should continue. 
More types of illustration taken from wider sources will 
be used. These will not be limited to clarifying biblical 
experiences, but a wide range of extra-biblical sources 
will be included. Pictures of Christianity at work in 
slums, in factories, and in rural districts, at home and 
abroad, will bring nearer the experiences of others. 
The moving-picture and the stereopticon slide as well 
as the picture in print are suggestive of new means now 
being employed. Detailed programs of work, reports, 
and building plans of churches taking advanced steps 
in world-Christianization are but typical of a wider 
use of illustration. ‘The world of life where the church 
is at work, or might well be, should be set forth objec- 
tively, as far as possible, to enrich the experience of 
groups engaged in Christian projects. Where it is 
feasible the illustration will be the real situation and the 
class will visit in a body or send a committee to obtain 
first-hand understanding of the needs or the progress 
being made. 

Project-teaching suggests a new purpose for the use 
of illustration. It is not enough to make clear an idea, 
to review it in an objective way; the illustration is for 
the sake of action, to make the execution of the enter- 


USING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING 133 


prise more effective. It thus has real utilitarian as 
well as symbolic value. Pageants and dramatic per- 
formances as means of making vivid an idea must be 
more than reviews of stories; they should be the means 
of leading those who see them to carry forward definite 
programs of Christian service if planned by leaders in 
accordance with the project principle. 

Nor will the teacher be the only user of illustrative 
material. The pupils as well, as we have seen in the 
case of other techniques, will search out and bring to 
meetings of the group that which will clarify and extend 
the experience of all of the members. This material 
co-operatively provided will not be used at a fixed stage 
with the idea of making a kind of application, but at any 
point where experience needs enlarging or strengthening. 

Drill (including memory work).—It has been stated 
previously that project-teaching allows for drill. A 
group carrying out Christian projects soon discovers the 
necessity of being familiar with certain tools such as 
ability to locate frequently used sources of material as 
the books of the Bible, memory of important quotations, 
historical and biographical facts. The matter of drill 
in some of these obvious essentials has been focal in the 
mind of most church-school teachers and a problem of 
great concern. If we approach the difficulty from the 
viewpoint of the project principle we find that it offers 
the most natural and most effective method of motivat- 
ing drill. When a group undertakes to lead the depart- 
ment or church in a well-planned service of worship, for 
example, many things of great value will be drilled upon 
and committed to memory for the purpose of making 


134 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


the whole project a success. In this case the pupils 
choose to drill themselves. Instances are numerous.* 
Such motivation is far superior to artificial stimulation 
through rewards, un-Christian rivalry, and parental 
compulsion. When the material drilled upon is viewed 
as a valuable and necessary part of the satisfactory 
completion of a worth-while project its pleasant associa- 
tion with other portions of the enterprise makes for 
permanent retention. Derived or forced interest and 
attention, such as is usually employed in the drill 
process, guarantees no lasting memory and gives the 
impression to the child that it is distasteful, for other- 
wise the teacher would not have had to offer a reward. 

Drill approached from the project angle will include 
as much and possibly more of the Bible material than 
we now ask for. It is probable that when we secure 
self-motivated drill and memorization by the pupil 
and he sees the value of such experience, he will gladly 
appropriate for himself without artificial stimulation 
much more of this great tool material in the adolescent 
years. We have by past methods developed during 
childhood an inner distaste which is revealed in the 
awakening independence of youth. Nor will we limit 
such types of drill to the biblical sources. The great 
hymns, the sacred literature of the past and present, 
the creeds of the Christian idealists of ancient and 
modern times, the essential facts of Christian biography 
and history—all these and much more will be within 
the scope of pupil-chosen drill. Whole courses, even 
such as we now plan so carefully, will be entered upon 


t See Description No. 20, Part II, p. 219. 


USING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING 135 


and be carried forward when the teacher and class once 
acquire the project viewpoint. 

This perfecting of the essential tools of successful 
Christian living will extend, of course, beyond the realm 
of ideas and facts into that of life-habits. When the 
maturing child and youth grasps the concept of self- 
direction and personal responsibility therefor, he will 
take it upon himself to improve his various modes of 
living. Discovering through the help of sympathetic 
and wise leaders that he has certain ways of acting that 
defeat life, he will undertake to make new habits more 
in accordance with the Christian ideal. Is it not 
reasonable to expect that a boy or girl in Christian 
surroundings will be as eager to improve in the spirit 
of self-denial or team play as in tennis or sled-making ? 
The extra-church agencies referred to in chapter viii 
are actually helping boys and girls in self-examination 
and life-program building. | 

Examination.—Up until recently the function of 
examination in the art of teaching has been thought of 
as discovering the amount of information possessed 
by the pupil. Now the tendency is to test him for his 
capacity to apply information to life and to think. It 
is comparatively easy to test for information, but the 
newer functions of an examination demand more care 
and have led to the invention of numerous tests. We 
are developing tests for native intelligence, for growth 
in ideas, for determining motives, for conduct itself. 
It is in tests of conduct that Christian education is most 


t See Descriptions Nos. 18 and 35, Part II, pp. 215 and 253, 
for illustrations. 


136 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


interested, since it aims to develop a way of living. 
The project concept gives an important place to the art 
of testing and particularly to the testing of growth in 
the good way of life. As we have shown in the discus- 
sion of the procedure for carrying out a project, a vital 
element in every project is the final step of judgment or 
evaluation of what has been accomplished. It is to be 
noted in the light of statements in other portions of this 
volume that the emphasis should be placed in such 
measurement not upon the individual in terms of self- 
centered growth, but upon the individual’s ability to 
accomplish worth-while enterprises for the good of the 
world. Jesus’ evaluation of his own growth was never, 
“How good have I become?’ but rather, ‘“Am I able 
to do my Father’s will?” 

The project idea stresses, then, examination by the 
pupil himself with the help of his leader. It likewise 
stresses not merely the testing for ideas about Christian- 
ity, but conduct in group meetings and outside of class. 
The method of examination for growth in Christian 
character is suggested by the tests used by the Y.M.C.A. 
and similar agencies and by the type of examination em- 
ployed by the Union School of Religion.t Provided we 
enlarge our idea of what an examination for growth in 
Christian character involves, we will find examining 
given its due share of attention under the project 
principle. 

USE OF TECHNIQUES IN GENERAL 

Now that we have seen how a number of the more 

familiar techniques of the art of teaching are utilized 


* Described in Religious Education, X (August, 1915), 388-91. 


UsING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING 137 


under this new concept, we may make a general sum- 
mary and evaluation of its application to the use of 
techniques in general. The following statements bring 
together some of the things discussed above. 

1. The project principle does not do away with the 
use of present techniques. It rather requires the more 
effective and skilled use of all of them. In some cases 
this means a more limited use in the class period but 
the total use is even greater, for larger opportunity is 
given for extra-class use. It is not the purpose of this 
chapter or volume to point out details of good technique, 
for we assume that teachers in Christian schools will be 
sufficiently interested to perfect themselves in the arts of 
questioning, story-telling, and the like. Let no teacher 
seek the consolation that project-teaching excuses him 
from developing skill in these arts. It is no substitute 
for them; his ability from the project viewpoint is in 
proportion as he uses them wisely and well. It is rather 
a new way of using them for which the project idea calls. 

2. The scope of techniques is greatly widened 
under the project concept. We can say either that 
many more techniques will be used or that existing 
techniques will be used in new ways in wider spheres. 
It amounts to the same thing. The art of leading a 
worship service, the arts of pageantry and dramatics, 
the art of leading children in Christian play and recrea- 
tion, the art of directing study and observation, and 
the various skills necessary in making a multitude of 
things with the hands are all added to the older tech- 
niques. In our larger schools this means specialization 
of function, just as it has in all the walks of life. 


138 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


3. The art of actual habit-formation in accordance 
with Christian ideals must find a central place, if we 
are to do project-teaching. A far larger emphasis 
upon this technique must be given by the teacher. 
If we are eager to have pupils become more reverent, 
grateful, or loyal in certain situations, we must go the 
whole way in making the desired response permanent. 
It is not enough to talk about it, to have pupils repeat 
axioms or verses; the lesson must be complete. This 
is not the place to discuss method, except to say that 
the project principle in religious education is insistent 
upon the law of complete learning. 

4. All the techniques of good teaching in religious 
education are to be ready for immediate use when 
needed in the carrying forward of a project. That is, 
they are not used in formal steps, as we have so often 
pointed out. Projects are so varied, so complex, so 
overlap one upon the other, that to direct a teacher 
always to begin with a story, then ask questions, then 
lecture, then make application, then test, and so on, 
is out of the question. 

5. In the co-operative enterprises of Kingdom- 
building the various techniques are used by the pupils 
as well as by the teacher. They ask questions, they 
tell stories, they measure their own progress. ‘This 
very fact suggests the necessity for added skill on the 
part of the teacher, for pupils develop rapidly in some 
of these arts." ) 


* Reports from churches having week-day schools under 
professional leadership using more advanced methods indicate 
that the pupils when in their Sunday-school class outdistance 
their teacher. 


USING THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING 139 


6. The use of techniques in accordance with the 
project principle makes the place of the teacher exceed- 
ingly important. All we have said regarding the wider 
use of techniques, the wide range from which source 
material is drawn, the democratic self-activity of the 
pupils, and the informality of the use of methods, points 
to the necessity of resourcefulness on the part of the 
teacher. The réle of the teacher in project-teaching 
we shall leave for the next chapter. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Articles dealing with the efficient use of the several 
techniques are too numerous for listing. Their use in con- 
nection with project-teaching is discussed in the following: 


Hosic, J. F. Articles in the Journal of Educational Method, 

Vol. IT. 

“The Réle of the Teacher in the Project Method. I,” 
No. 4, December, 1922, pp. 156-59. 

“The Role of the Teacher in the Project Method. II,” 
No. 5, January, 1923, pp. 204-7. 

“The Réle of the Teacher in the Project Method. 
III,” No. 6, February, 1923, pp. 249-52. 

“Types of Projects and Their Technique,” No. 7, 
March, 1923, pp. 288-93. 


CHAPTER X 
THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER 


Every phase of our discussion thus far has brought 
us to see the responsibility placed upon the teacher in 
project-teaching. Neither an elaborate course of 
study, even though it be planned along the most 
advanced lines, nor a multitude of devices or skills 
helpful in themselves can be a substitute for resource- 
ful leadership. Every recent advance made in educa- 
tional theory has insisted upon a larger place for the 
teacher; the project principle asks the largest possible 
place. What the leader does is the outstanding factor 
in the learning process. The project principle is not 
a cure-all which relieves the teacher of burdens without 
demanding a price. It does suggest an approach, 
however, which will meet the difficulties, if the teacher 
makes right use of it. It is quite possible that thought- 
ful leaders, even though possessed of less skill in 
certain techniques, may accomplish far more than at 
present if they will venture forth, for the viewpoint is 
a large factor in success. 


QUALIFICATIONS FOR GOOD TEACHING 


If one is to do this kind of teaching successfully 
there are certain qualifications which should be kept in 
mind. We may group these under three heads. 


140 


THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER IAI 


1. A rich Christian experience.—It goes without say- 
ing that one who is expected to lead others in living 
Jesus’ way of life should have a deep personal experience 
ofthat way. ‘There isa grave danger that religious edu- 
cation at the present time may lack the depth and inten- 
sity of personal experience. ‘The tendency to think of it 
as instruction with emphasis largely upon intellectual 
elements leaves it without that feeling element which 
gives it conviction and driving-power. If there is one 
point at which the project principle in religious educa- 
tion is true to the age-old core of religion, it is here. 
Christian education must result in a through-and- 
through experience. Instruction, knowledge of words, 
facts, and ideas is merely surface education, if given 
apart from the significant experiences demanded by the 
project concept. It is this possession of a life shot 
through-and-through with Christian ideas, attitudes, 
and ways of action that should characterize the good 
teacher. 

This experience should not only be deep, but broad. 
The teacher must have a world-view of life. Scholar- 
ship, coupled with a wide acquaintanceship at first hand 
with the forces of life, gives one a rich supply from 
which to draw as occasion demands. Not all who go to 
schools obtain this abundance of experience; there are 
many who know life, whose book learning has been 
limited. 

Where it is possible teachers should specialize in 
some field of experience. There ought to be some 
portion of the great storehouse of experience with 
which they are very familiar. If a teacher has had 


142 THE PRojEcT PRINCIPLE 


experiences with pupils of a certain age or sex and knows 
them better than others, let him continue to be respon- 
sible for these. If he has gone deeper into certain prob- 
lems of life than into others, let him use his experience 
when such problems arise. It is here that wise class 
leaders will call in the lawyers, doctors, city officials, 
college students, and others as associate teachers and 
use their specialized experience. Without becoming 
narrow let every teacher study a few problems well so 
that his experience may be at the service of the whole 
church. 

2. The possession and exercise of certain qualities of 
leadership.—One could make a long list of leadership 
qualities. But among others there are four which 
characterize a good project-teacher. He must have 
imagination. ‘The ability to see far ahead a goal of 
character and at the same time to hold clearly in mind 
the intervening steps, to see the possibilities and 
educational significance of every experience, to plan 
projects, to be constantly reconstructing means and 
methods in the light of aims and past experience, to 
live in a world of life that can be made Christian if one 
will dream and bring his dream to pass—these capaci- 
ties require fertile imagination. He must have the 
child’s viewpoint. We have taken an entire chapter to 
indicate ways by which teachers can discover their 
pupils’ interests. We must keep in mind that the 
child’s viewpoint cannot be acquired alone by reading 
books but by living with children and at the same time 
bearing in mind what we would have them be. The 
successful teacher is that one who can democratically . 


THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER 143 


and sympathetically hold fellowship with his group 
without forfeiting his place as leader. He must have 
good judgment. The ability to compare and choose 
between values, to know the right thing to do, to be 
tactful, to avoid narrowness and arbitrariness, to decide 
issues on the basis of sound reasoning—these are quali- 
ties of the good teacher. He must possess humility. 
In project-teaching there is a great temptation to have 
one’s own way. But one must practice restraint; he 
must not put himself in the way of the picture. When 
loyalty is to the person rather than to the cause or 
enterprise which he is leading, values fade away. He 
may make plans, but must be ready to revise them, for 
he is working primarily to develop lives, not to create a 
logically ordered course or program. It is better that 
pupils should gain enriched experience than that the 
leader’s plan should be carried out as he first saw it. 
All this takes the spirit of self-negation. ‘The teach- 
er’s success—if we believe in democracy—will consist in 
gradually eliminating himself or herself from the success 
of the procedure.’ 

3. The knowledge and application of the laws he 
learning.—We shall not enlarge upon this qualification. 
The teacher must keep before him the fact, however, 
that his task is the inclusive one of building character. 
Any intermediate goal which overshadows this will 
result in faulty teaching. For more detailed discussion 
of these laws and their psychological basis, the student 
is referred to recent works on educational psychology. 
The project principle of teaching finds its support in 


1W. H. Kilpatrick, The Project Method, p. 13. 


144 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


these laws and its advocates believe it makes the most 
complete application of them.’ 


THE TEACHER’S VARIED ROLE 


The teacher who uses the project principle plays 
many parts. The church-school teacher, whose goal of 
character-formation implies the handling of so many 
varied situations, has even a more varied réle than the 
teacher who is teaching specific skills for vocational 
efficiency. ‘There are a number of factors which make 
for this widespread variety of offices which are required 
of a successful church-school teacher. Just what the 
teacher does will depend upon the following: 

1. The religious development of the child or group.— 
This in turn is affected by a number of other condi- 
tions such as his age, his natural interests and traits, 
his past experience, particularly that of the immediate 
past, his personal and physical environment in family, 
play, and school groups, the world- and community 
experiences of the time, and the type and size of the 
church with which he is connected. It is hoped that 
the exchange of project experiences will help teachers to 
know what to do with various combinations of these 
factors in their particular situations. It is quite likely 
if we follow the project concept that the grading and 
classifying of pupils in the future will be upon a basis 
of interests and fitness to have certain experiences, 
rather than upon age or even ability to study books. 

t One of the most carefully worked out and concise statements 


of these laws as utilized under the project principle is found in 
Kilpatrick’s The Project Method, pp. 7-16. 


THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER 145 


2. The goals which the teacher has in mind.—Every 
teacher will have at least two goals, one the ultimate very 
vividly discerned, and the other more specific and im- 
mediately attainable. The great fault of many teachers 
is that the goal set is vague and indefinite. The compel- 
ling consciousness of the kind of character their pupils — 
should ultimately have is too frequently lacking. They 
are also prone to forget that this ultimate goal cannot 
be reached in a day ora year. ‘The great aim should 
find expression in lesser aims covering shorter periods 
of time. Even a single experience may be planned 
which makes a very definite and appreciable con- 
tribution to Christian character. The little crippled 
boy who played his cornet at a morning church service 
because his superintendent saw possibilities in him con- 
fided to her afterward his new attitude toward the 
church. In choosing his réle the teacher will ask him- 
self just what he is seeking to do both ultimately and 
in the present situation. 

3. The type of project planned.—We have said that 
projects are without limit as to variety. To suggest 
the different parts which the project teacher is called 
upon to play, it is necessary only to point out in pro- 
jects the form of activity which may be predominant. 
Sometimes the skill required is that of leading an 
intelligent discussion of some intellectual problem. At 
others the leader is expected to provide for the develop- 
ment of certain attitudes through the medium of a wor- 
ship service. At still other times the skill required is 
that of taking the lead in social life, or in performing 
some act of Christian service. But the projects most 


146 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


frequently utilized and possessing the greatest values 
will be those which make room for the unified expression 
of all sides of life. Hence the changing réle even in a 
single project. 

4. The stage which the project has reached—We have 
seen the steps taken by the teacher in carrying out a 
project and the various techniques used. The part 
played is determined by the procedure needed. In 
general the teacher disappears from the center of the 
stage as progress is made. This does not mean that 
he is less active. He finds more activities to guide, 
more problems to solve, and the greater necessity of 
keeping the objectives clearly before the group. His 
method will have less of forcing and the pupils will 
contribute more. The relations will become more 
democratic throughout the group. 

5. The immediate situation 1n which he finds him- 
self—Since the secret of real project-teaching is the 
handling of situations as they arise, the use of every- 
day experience, and the independence of mechanical 
formulas, the teacher must be ready to meet any new 
circumstance and turn it to account. Hence the 
emphasis is not alone upon the preparation of limited 
lessons, but upon the preparation for leadership of 
growing life. It is this significant capacity to be 
resourceful which characterizes the successful project- 
teacher. 

This variability of the part played by a teacher 
using the project principle is exemplified by the follow- 
ing list of titles which might be applied to him in his 
relation to his pupils. He is a director of activity; 


THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER 147 


an elected leader in a social project; a democratic 
group member of more experience; a consulting expert; 
a pilot who steers the discussion; a coach who knows 
the rules of the game; a guide who knows the lay of the 
land; an older friend who offers friendly counsel; 
a representative of mature society with veto power. 
Hosic in writing on this point says: 


The teacher .... is leader, chairman, chief inter- 
locutor, coach, umpire, taskmaster, authority, judge, 
adviser, sympathetic listener, chief performer, examiner, 
guide, or friend as occasion may require. Which will be 
appropriate can only partly be foreseen. The circumstances 
must determine, the state in which the pupils are, the stage 
which their enterprise has reached. Certainly a prearranged 
pattern by which to conduct the recitation will seldom be 
found to fit. This is no task for the mechanical mind or 
the blind follower of routine. It calls for adaptability. The 
project teacher must be versatile. She must play the game 
as the circumstances demand. She will anticipate but will 
not arbitrarily determine what the next move of the pupils 
will be. Above all she will expect each class, each pupil, 
and each lesson to be different.? 


ACQUIRING THE PROJECT VIEWPOINT 


It should be evident from the foregoing that project- 
teaching requires of the teacher a new approach rather 
than a new kind of technique. Lest we seem to have 
discouraged teachers by setting so high a standard of 


t Taken from the author’s Teaching Adolescents in the Church 
School, pp. 159-60. 

2‘The Réle of the Teacher in the Project Method,” Journal 
of Educational Method, I1 (December, 1922), 159. | 


148 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


resourcefulness, let it be said here that the project 
viewpoint can be acquired, and that, too, by any teacher 
worthy of the calling of leading boys and girls in the way 
of the Christian life. Even though he or she may have 
had but limited opportunity to develop the techniques 
which have been mentioned, the efficacy of these special 
arts can be greatly increased if they are used from the 
project viewpoint. It is as easy to train leaders to this 
approach as to continue along present lines. 

Plans for training teachers now used make practi- 
cally no provision for observation, practice work, or a 
study of local school problems. ‘To be sure directions 
are given for experiment and observation, but they are 
not an integral part of the course nor are they required 
in the granting of diplomas. How many public normal 
schools train their students by limiting their experience 
to a study of principles? Because of the abstractness, 
vagueness, and indifference to local difficulties, calls 
are coming for a new emphasis in teacher-training which 
is in the project direction. - The following excerpt from 
the findings of a denominational workers’ conference is 
an example. 

This [a better method of teaching and a more effective 
use of materials] means a new kind of teacher training for 
which suitable courses must be prepared with greater 
emphasis upon observation and the experience of teaching. 
These courses should begin, not with abstract principles, 
but with the specific tasks of the church school. The teacher 
training class should be organized for the practical discus- 
sion of actual experiences of children in its own school, and 
of its own immediate problems in worship, class organiza- 
tion and management, parental co-operation and others of 


THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER 149 


like nature. The discussion of such problems at a series of 
teachers’ and officers’ conferences in any school will produce 
immediate results of great value. 


Why should we not prepare courses in psychology 
for church-school workers in which psychological prin- 
ciples grow out of observation such as we have suggested 
in chapter vii? Why not conduct a course in church- 
school organization and administration as did one wise 
leader in a community training school? When, at 
the opening session, he was asked by his pupils for the 
name of the text, he said: “Your text will be your own 
school.”” And it was, for he began with their own 
problems, and by drawing upon his experiences and 
those of others in reference books to which he directed 
them, they were enabled to make great improvement in 
their own situations. Why not train teachers in the 
art of leadership by preparing suggestive and easily 
adaptable guidebooks to help them solve their own 
teaching problems? By beginning with the actual 
difficulties which they face in leading groups and 
bringing to bear the experiences of others made avail- 
able through personal observation, or reference report, 
they would be solving their own problems and as a 
valuable by-product be developing skill in teaching.? 

In the acquisition of the project viewpoint church- 
school workers should not overlook the possibilities in 


t “Religious Education Objectives—Findings of the Con- 
gregational Secretaries,’ Congregationalist, February 22, 1923. 

2 See the Preface, Introduction, and general plan of Teaching 
Adolescents in the Church School, by the author, as an endeavor 
to put the foregoing suggestion into concrete form. 


150 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


the teachers’ and officers’ conference, to which reference 
is made in the excerpt above. Much more could be 
made of this meeting than we think. Its inefficiency 
has been due largely to the way it has been conducted. 
Were the workers seriously to undertake a solution of 
their difficulties in the manner just suggested it would 
prove one of ‘the best forms of teacher-training. How 
leaders may be helped who desire further suggestions 
as to how project-teaching can be initiated in their 
classes and schools is the theme of the final chapter. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Almost any teacher-training text emphasizes the place 
and qualifications of the teacher in religious education. For 
a further understanding of the theme of this chapter see: 
Coe, George A. A Social Theory of Religious Education 

(““Teacher” in index). Scribners. 

Law and Freedom in the School, chap. iv. The 

University of Chicago Press. 

Hosic, J. M. Articles listed at the close of chapter ix, 

‘Suggestions for Further Study.” 

Kilpatrick, W.H. The Project Method, pp. 7-16. Teachers 

College. 





CHAPTER XI 


THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE AND CHURCH- 
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 


The purpose of the church school, as we have seen, 
is to provide educative experience on the Christian 
level. In order to do so we must have groups of pupils, 
leaders, programs of desirable experiences, certain 
material facilities, and arrangements of time and place. 
The proper selection, interrelation, and use of all 
these factors we call organization. 

The student of this volume is quite aware by this 
time that the adoption of the project principle can 
scarcely leave our present plans and methods of church- 
school organization entirely unaffected. In this chap- 
ter we shall endeavor to show what changes in 
viewpoint and procedure are wrought by its application. 
The best means of discovering the significance of the 
project concept for the organization of a church school 
is to evaluate that organization in the light of the four 
tests we have previously laid down as criteria of the 
process of Christian education. 


TESTS OF EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION 


1. Does the fact that the experience to be provided 
should be entered- into by the pupil with the Christian 
purpose determine the methods of organization ?—Does 


I51 


152 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


our present scheme of school, departmental, and class 
organization do this? Although there are indications 
of improvement, on the whole we believe it does not. 
As illustrations we select three aspects of organization, 
the grading of members, promotion, and entrance into 
church membership. ‘The pupil is asked to become a 
member of a school, not with the argument that he can 
jointly with others find opportunity to express his pur- 
pose of loving, but with the appeal to a sense of duty, 
denominational loyalty, or social standing. These may 
not be bad, but they should be secondary. He is placed 
in a department or class not on the basis of interest in 
or capacity for the particular task which that group is 
undertaking. He is told that since he is so old or 
belongs to a certain grade in the public school he must 
join the pupils of his own age or those of equal scho- 
lastic attainments. Undoubtedly this is a fair method 
of classification and more necessary in the case of 
younger children, but not a final basis. We are well 
aware that the marks of a Christian are not the years 
he has lived, nor yet the brilliancy of his knowledge nor 
the keenness of his skill. 

The existing basis of promotion follows essentially 
the same lines. Age and public-school progress, plus in 
some cases the ability to memorize Bible verses, are 
the requirements in schools which set any standards. 
Being taken into the church, which formerly was condi- 
tioned upon an emotional experience or understanding 
of the creed, has come to mean less and less because of 
the weakening of even these requirements. The chief 
desire seems to be to get members, and the seriousness 


CHURCH-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 153 


of the step becomes less and less emphasized as children 
are joining at a more tender age than ever.? 

If we were to accept the project principle, these and 
other aspects of organization would be modified. We 
would not propose that all present methods be aban- 
doned. If the interest in Christian projects should be 
made the basis of membership in a class, several 
changes would follow. ‘The range of pupils’ ages might 
be greater.2, What a consolation to small schools! 
The number of pupils would vary more widely than 
present standards suggest. Length of class member- 
ship would be less dependent upon a fixed time schedule 
and more upon the*time it took to complete a definite 
enterprise. For practical purposes the present school 
year might be divided into periods of six or twelve weeks 
each, and new groups formed or new members taken 
into classes at the end of each period. ‘This arrange- 
ment would break into our sharp divisions of yearly 
grades and possibly cut across our department lines. 

tSee W. S. Athearn, The Indiana Survey of Religious Educa- 
tion, I, 371-78. Doran. 


2 One director had in her school a number of girls from the 
public high school, which was so conducted that there was little 
association of girls taking one year’s work with those taking 
another. Accordingly she devised plans for several projects and 
allowed the girls to choose which group they would like to work 
with in the church school during the year. This was worth 
while, not only because the girls were allowed a choice so that 
they might enter more wholeheartedly into the class activities, 
but it gave the girls the much-needed association, older with 
younger, and vice versa. The next year new groupings took place 
and more fellowships were made in working together at interesting 
projects. 


154 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


It would consequently make difficult the awarding of 
banners by superintendents and certificates and seals 
by overhead agencies, but projects are their own 
incentive. It would do away also with uniformity of 
organization between schools and thus give each school, 
small as well as large, an opportunity to be judged by 
what its pupils accomplished rather than by the 
secondary considerations of mechanical grouping. 

Promotion and entrance into church membership 
would likely be fused into one. Every young person 
would be an ‘‘attaining”’ or achieving member from 
birth. His privileges and responsibilities would be 
dependent upon the way in which he used previous 
privileges and undertook earlier responsibilities. Both 
old and young would constitute a church family all 
attaining and all serving. There might be several 
stages or degrees of membership into which maturing 
members were voted upon the basis of achievement, 
although the spirit of love and humility would unite all 
endeavorers. The project principle, emphasizing sin- 
cerity of purpose, goes straight to the heart of grada- 
tion of church (church-school) membership. 

2. Does the necessity for an experience that is educa- 
tionally complete affect the school organization ?—What 
is the response of our present organization to this 
demand? We note deficiencies of two kinds. A large 
number of schools provide only for an experience of 
acquiring information. The only meetings are for 
this purpose; the building and equipment provided 
are planned with this as the predominant factor. We 
need not repeat the discussion of the weakness of this 


CHURCH-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 155 


from the standpoint of educative experience. On the 
other hand, an increasingly large number of schools are 
becoming interested in the other aspects which tend 
toward completeness of learning. ‘There is much more 
emphasis upon the place of worship in the church school. 
Recreation is now being provided as a portion of the 
child’s experience. Doing things and making things 
are also finding a place. But the great defect in all 
these more recent aspects of church-school life is their 
unrelatedness to a central purpose. There are many 
other defects but most of them grow from the lack of 
unity and correlation. Worship is valuable; there- 
fore it is provided, but planned and led by adults with 
little reference to the present problems of children. 
Children will play; therefore the church is tempted to 
capitalize the play tendency in order to get children 
interested in what the leaders too often think is the 
far more important work, the ‘‘lesson.”?’ Handwork is 
provided to illustrate the theme of the lesson under 
the mistaken idea that clearness of understanding is a 
guaranty of action. Things done are too often under- 
taken at the behest of an overhead missionary or 
temperance society to get something done, but with 
little reference to the educative effect upon the child. 
None of these more recent additions to church-school 
organization are bad in themselves. It is the fact of 
their lack of relation which renders them less useful 
from the standpoint of Christian education. 

Under the project principle these experiences will 
become unified, because groups purposing and carrying 
forward purposes will find them all necessary. Such 


156 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


groups would find plenty of themes for worship pro- 
grams and see the need for talking over their projects 
with the Father in prayer and song. The same groups 
would see the need of the re-creation which comes from 
play and which fits them far more effectually for Chris- 
tian service. Service activities would be spontaneous 
and for their own sake, not for artificial expression of 
an idea or to please the leaders higher up. All such 
activities would be the organized programs of one 
group and find their unity in the total program of school, 
department, or class. 

Projects thus require of school organization meet- 
ings for a variety of purposes, such as for planning and 
discussion (instruction), for strengthening of heart and 
body (worship and recreation), and for execution 
(service). Present available periods on Sunday or 
week-day would be used as occasion demanded.? 
There would be an endless variety of extra meetings to 
do the things necessary to completion of the enter- 
prise of good will. All this would mean new types of 
building and equipment. Every school should have 
one or more rooms set apart for worship only.3 There 


* Not an arbitrary division of work, for all aspects might find 
a place in one meeting. 

2 Jt is thus seen that project-teaching and organization offers 
an eagerly sought answer to the problem of correlating week-day 
and vacation school activities with those of Sunday. For an 
illustration of this correlation'see article by Dorothy D. Barbour, 
“The Case against Standardization,” Religious Education, XVIII 
(June, 1923), 210. 


3 See H. F. Cope, Organizing the Church School, pp. 147-48. 


CHURCH-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 157 


would also be rooms for recreation and rooms of a work- 
shop nature, although by co-operation with other 
agencies of religious education including the home, 
recreation and constructive activities could be handled 
outside the church building. 

Because of this demand for complete experience in 
living and learning as a Christian, many church-school 
leaders are facing a real problem. They are asking, 
“Which is more educational, the ‘lessons’ or the 
service program ?”’? To them we must say that both are 
needed, but they must become one experience. The 
method of so fusing them is found in the project 
principle. 

3. Is the method of organization dependent upon 
the fact that the growing Christian’s experience must be 
true to life?—What do our organized classes do that is 
like the real work of an active and forward-looking 
church? ‘There is at present a great insistence upon 
class and departmental organization, and thousands of 
organized classes are being granted charters to hang on 
classroom walls. But if the activities of the group are 
limited to electing their officers, reporting them to head- 
quarters, and felicitating themselves upon the size of 
the overhead organization to which they belong, then 
they may as well disband. On the other hand, when a 
group do something practical and worth while, then 
their form of organization is educative. The group, 
then, will first find something to do and will next 
organize in order to do it well. No new kind of name, 
scheme of officers, badge, motto, dress, or ritual can ever 
take the place of a simple, home-made organization 


158 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


found necessary because a group of youthful Chris- 
tians see something real to do and develop an organ- 
ization to do it. There will, of course, be some few 
officers more or less permanent, but the number should 
be reduced to a minimum. Committees especially 
will be appointed for the period of the task assigned 
to them and then be dismissed. Do we not train for 
irresponsibility by having machinery that promises 
salvation because it has a new brand, but which in 
reality “creates a maddening maze of wheels that 
complicate and hinder school work”’ ?? 

When we apply the project principle and require 
practical outcomes of pupil activity, we will have real 
need for organization. Officials will learn responsi- 
bility, for they will do real work and render an account 
to the class. ‘This means more than holding office and 
going through meaningless business. In other sections 
of the volume we have suggested the great variety of 
things to do and the methods of doing them. We 
should not be surprised, then, to find church-school 
groups choosing officers and committees with an end- 
less range of tasks. We may have elected or appointed 
a guide for a hike, a presiding officer and reception 
committee for a reception to parents, a toastmaster 
and speakers at a banquet, a chef and assistants to pre- 
pare a “‘feed”’ for the class or for hungry waifs, a com- 
mittee to meet with the church officials and discuss the — 
young people’s problem; a spokesman and _ other 
representatives to see the mayor about law enforce- 
ment, and so on, depending upon the nature of the 


tH. F. Cope, Organizing the Church School, p. 194. 


CHURCH-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 159 


project. The outstanding requirement is that the 
organization effected shall function in doing the same 
kind of things, though possibly in a less experienced 
way, which are done by an active Christian church 
organization. 

4. Is the fact that experience should be shared on a 
Christian basis recognized in the organization of the 
school ?—In most schools the more vital and educative 
experiences are not democratically shared. Almost 
every phase of church-school life gives us examples. 
It is a rare occasion when we find scholars represented 
upon the boards that decide the important problems of 
local school administration. And who ever heard of 
scholars being elected to represent the school in the 
official board of the church or at an interdenomina- 
tional Sunday-school conference? For the most part 
the selection of worship themes, the planning of pro- 
grams, and their execution are in the hands of adults, 
and the result is far from satisfactory. How frequently 
the money of the children is voted away at meetings 
where only adults are present! These same adults also 
have made the budget. Instead of being allowed to 
suggest or choose from a number of alternative social- 
service or missionary enterprises, the pupils are exhorted 
to uphold the honor of the school and beat the other 
schools in the district by being loyal to the adult- 
selected field of need! And in most instances it goes 
to a general field in which they can find little of per- 
sonal or specific interest, and about which scant infor- 
mation is given before or after the collection. Their 
picnics, their ball games, their good times, are planned 


160 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


and given to them by patronizing elders, for the chil- — 


dren ought to be rewarded for attending so faithfully! 

The result of this absence of a broad Christian 
family spirit has too frequently been an antagonistic 
misunderstanding on the part of those classes or groups 
who have initiative and complete disinterestedness in 
the case of less assertive groups. And we sometimes 
wonder why class loyalty outweighs department or 
school loyalty! We pay also in the fact that there is 
an unfortunate barrier between the young and old in 
the church. We are told that the young people are 
not as responsible as they should be, but irresponsi- 
bility is one of the prices we pay for neglecting to take 
the young with us in our school councils. We look 
for leaders, but there are none, for pupils have been 
trained in experiences of blind acceptance of things as 
they are. Teachers find it hard to secure the interest 
of pupils in the work of the class or school. What do 
lessons mean when the real enterprises of the church 
are denied to them? 

’ All this would be changed if we should apply the 
project principle. Every experience provided by the 
school, such as those above mentioned, would have 
positive Christian education value, if mutually shared 
by leaders and pupils. Pupils would then be repre- 
sented in all the councils of the school and of the church 
and even in interdenominational councils. They would 
plan and carry out their own services of worship. They 


would have a real share in budget-making and appro- — 


priation of funds. In the discovery and planning of 
service as well as in play and recreation their ideas 


CHURCH-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 161 


would be given opportunity for expression. We would 
find them taking part in the keeping of records, suggest- 
ing reference books in the school library, making rules 
for the use of the gymnasium, recommending new 
school equipment, having a voice in the allocation of 
rooms, and in countless other activities of a well- 
organized church school. 

This direction is being taken by a number of schools. 
Student councils with real powers are being organized. 
There is need for them to be given a still wider range of 
powers and responsibilities. It is quite possible that 
even children in our lower departments might profitably 
be allowed to exercise more self-government than at 
present. The organization of the church and of the 
church school should also be so interrelated that the 
two are one. 

The goal of all our organization is the complete and 
trustful liberation of our growing Christians from the 
necessity of imposed adult authority. This outcome is 
likewise a test to be applied to all specific forms of 
organization. It is well to begin that gradual process 
of living and working together as a Christian family 
as early as possible to insure democratic and whole- 
hearted co-operation later in the mature life of the 
church. 


BEARING ON SPECIFIC PROBLEMS 


In applying the four tests of educative experience to 
the organization of the church school we have discussed 
a number of important problems. There are, however, 
certain other aspects of organization which are affected 


162 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


by the acceptance of the project principle. These will 
be treated briefly. 

t. Supervision—The superintendent, or other 
officer made responsible for the supervision of the 
educational work of the school, will need constantly to 
evaluate the methods of organization to see that real 
educative experiences on the Christian level are being 
provided. He will compare the work being done with 
that which is needed in the light of the four tests given 
above. ‘This means fusing the supervision of teaching 
with the supervision of organization, for they are 
inseparable if we take the project view. It means also 
that the task of supervision will include co-ordination 
and correlation of all the experiences of the child under 
the central direction of one agency, the church. All 
other agencies having to do with the Christian education 
of the younger members must be looked upon as 
specialized functions of the total church program. 

2. Professional leadership.—There is little doubt 
that, if we go in the direction of project-teaching, a 
professionally trained leadership will be needed. Bet- 
ter methods and specialization of tasks are as necessary 
in religious education as elsewhere in life. It will 
necessitate in many cases the payment of such skilled 
workers. There is reason to believe that when church 
members and religious education committees see the 
task as so closely related to the whole life of the church 
they will welcome such leadership. 

3. Building and equipment.—Buildings will be 
planned and divided into rooms on the basis of purpose. 
We have already suggested the types of rooms required, 


CHURCH-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 163 


and noted the fact that the principle of co-operation 
instead of competition with other agencies should 
decide how far to go. We shall probably see fewer 
rooms, planned for a specialized use and well equipped, 
used over and over again as an efficient factory or 
public building is used. The project idea implies 
such when it emphasizes co-operative sharing of experi- 
ence and a less rigid time schedule. New types of 
equipment and supplies will be installed, including more 
extensive means of illustration, for example, costum- 
ing material and moving-picture machines. A refer- 
ence library will contain material dealing with many 
phases of life, especially such kinds as are not con- 
veniently obtainable elsewhere. When pupils come 
to have the purposeful viewpoint they will not only be 
willing to adjust time schedules and share facilities, but 
they will eagerly provide new means of carrying forward 
the great Christian enterprise on the basis of efficiency. 
This has been frequently shown in schools where pupils 
have been encouraged to think for themselves. 

4. Finance.—The introduction of better methods of 
teaching and organization will require a larger budget. 
All church-school leaders are agreed that the religious 
education program has not had adequate financial 
support. The expenditure of more money, however, is 
not without returns, when it is done in a school where 
such methods as we have suggested are prevalent. 
The pupils, having a share in both raising and spending 
money, will take the task more seriously. As a con- 
sequence they learn to spend economically and to deny 
themselves to accomplish their purposes. Experience 


164 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


has proved that where pupils have chosen and carried 
out missionary projects with freedom, they have given 
far more to missions than under a plan in which they 
had no voice. The same is true with reference to the 
support of local church needs. ‘The temporary increase 
of money spent for real education in giving means far 
larger returns within a short time and promises a 
generation of church members who are trained to give 
willingly and intelligently. 

5. Records—This is not the place to go into detail 
as to record systems. One general observation will 
suffice. In the place of the present emphasis upon 
attendance at school, the records kept will tell the 
experience of the school and its constituent groups in 
the building of the Kingdom and in the enlargement of 
the circle of world-wide Christian friendship which the 
members are seeking. Whatever account is kept of 
the individual will have its primary value in that it 
reveals his share in the total enterprise, what sugges- 
tions he made, what part of the work he did, and 
possibly what the class thought of his contribution. 
We have indicated that records would be kept in part by 
the pupils. No doubt such records would be excellent 
reference material for the guidance of later generations 
of pupils in carrying forward the tasks of a new day.? 
Many of our present items of information would prob- 
ably be retained if they served this purpose. 

6. Co-operation of parents and church members—In 
a school where the church work and the training process 


* An example of such a record is that given in the bulletin 
of the Union School of Religion for 1920, p. 23. 


CHURCH-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION 165 


were fused into one, every older member would be 
considered an associate teacher to help in the training of 
the young. There can be no religious education by 
proxy. Led by those who are especially skilled, every 
parent and older member would lend assistance as 
directed in the fellowship-enterprise which educates 
the young when they are associated in it. The home, 
the church, and the church school would thus find their 
co-ordination in their union in one process. 

7. Community co-operation —There is no better and 
more effective way of bringing folk together than a 
common task. When the emphasis in church and 
church school is placed upon lifelike projects, other 
differences fade away. This is the lesson taught by 
the great campaigns for temperance legislation, for 
missionary endeavor, and for the present efforts at 
world-peace. The churches which refuse to join in 
doing Christian things are few. There are many who 
refuse to join in creed and ritual. When the task is 
foremost it is far easier to adjust the means of organiza- 
tion to that end than when no task is in sight. When 
we have two or more churches in a community standing 
together for a clean city, denominational differences 
are forgotten. Think of the ease of unity if church 
schools were always engaged in learning by doing! 
New ways and means would arise, products of the 
past experience of all the co-operators, but revised to 
meet new issues. ‘The dead weight of static creeds 
would fall away and restatements of the purpose of 
Christ would be easy. Community co-operation would 
come most naturally in organizing to train leaders, to 


166 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


establish week-day and vacation schools, to hold song 
festivals and pageants, and to bring to pass all service 
enterprises to which these other things are means. 
Many a small community which does not now think it 
possible to engage a community director would see its 
way to this important development in its common life. 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Cope, Henry F. Organizing the Church School, especially 
chaps. i-iv, ix, xvili, xix. Doran. 

Note.—Dr. Cope in his last book has applied, ‘in 
practical terms, the social theory of religious education to 
the working program of a church,” and presented ‘‘a com- 
prehensive, unified enterprise embracing all that affects the 
life of childhood and youth.” Because it seems that thus 
far no similar approach to the problem of organization has 
been made, we suggest no other references. 





CHAPTER XII 
INTRODUCING PROJECT-TEACHING 


It may seem to some that we have held up too high 
a standard. Readers will say, ‘‘That is impossible 
in our school, the conditions are not favorable.’”? But 
in any new undertaking there are two rules to be 
keptin mind. First, aim high, and second, begin where 
youare. We have set a high standard, but we hold also 
that project-teaching must make its way slowly. As we 
implied in the opening chapters the project principle 
is a relative term. The educative value of a project 
experience is proportionate to the degree of Christian 
purposing by the scholar, the psychological complete- 
ness of the experience, the usefulness of the product, 
and the extent to which the experience is shared on the 
Christian level. From this we see that there are no 
perfect project teachers, but that all are seeking a more 
and more effectual application of project principles. 


MAKING A BEGINNING 


Every teacher, then, must make a beginning. In » 
fact, a great many are beginning, for the term project 
is popular. But many are missing the mark; some 
because they follow fads and others because they have 
not found sufficient guidance. To help these latter and 
others who have hesitated for lack of direction is the pur- 
pose of this volume and especially of this final chapter. 


167 


168 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


The experimental principle of discovering methods 
through actual trial and error is basic in project- 
teaching. The best way to learn to teach in accordance 
with this new concept is to try. Help from others is 
often needed, but one cannot depend too much on out- 
side sources. This, too, is a principle of project- 
teaching. ‘The way to succeed is to test the sugges- 
tions of others by making a beginning for one’s self. 


HOW TO START 


For the help of church-school officers and teachers 
who would like to introduce project-teaching into their 
school or class the following suggestions are made: 

1. Learn what others are doing—The natural and 
common-sense way of all teaching is, ‘“‘See—watch me— 
do it this way.” The technique, to be sure, needs 
improvement, but the principle is sound. ‘Teachers 
should visit the schools of others to discover better 
ways of teaching. More and more this method of 
improving teaching is being adopted by our better 
church schools. One who is interested in projects 
should visit and studiously observe teachers who are 
using this approach. 

Personal observation is unfortunately not possible 
for the great majority of teachers at present. The 
next best way therefore to learn what others are doing 
is to read descriptions of their work. Thus far there 
are very few descriptions of church-school projects in 
print. We are probably just at the beginning of a 
period of case study in religious education.‘ Because 


t See Religious Education, April, 1923, pp. 96-133. 


= a, rs 
ee 





INTRODUCING PRrojEct-TEACHING 169 


of the scarcity of such descriptions the author has 
planned that Part II of this volume should be given 
over entirely to accounts of project-teaching which 
has been done by some of our best teachers. 

It is not enough to visit and casually observe or 
merely read. One should study the entire situation, 
procedure, and outcomes in evaluating a project. For 
example, to learn from the experience of others the 
teacher should ask himself such questions as: 


1. What was the nature of the situation in which the project 
was carried on? 

2. How was the project initiated ? 

3. What things were done? (That is, what steps were 
taken, what sub-projects carried out in the accomplish- 
ment of the major one ?) 

4. What part did the teacher take in the enterprise ? 

. What part did the pupils take? What was their 

attitude ? 

6. What were the Christian educational values or outcomes ? 

7. How did the experience measure up to the four tests for 
educative experience, Christian purposefulness of pupils, 
completeness of experience, usableness of product in real 
life, and a Christian sharing of experience ? 

8. What is there connected with the project which cannot be 
applied to my situation ? 

9. What suggestions are there which might be useful to me ? 


on 


2. Seek a favorable opportunity in your situation— 
It would be folly for a school to introduce project- 
teaching wholesale or for any teacher to start in the 
face of obviously unsatisfactory conditions. Wait for 
a favorable time. When some quarter’s lessons appear 
to give little promise of value to one’s particular pupils, 


170 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


when the regular organization is broken up by a vacant 
period, or in that in-between month of September, one 
might work in a project. It is better, of course, to 
have the time when the school is going enthusiastically, 
but some superintendents are insistent that teachers 
follow the prescribed course. A more common practice 
is to carry projects along in addition to the course of 
study. If this is done, real efforts should be made to 
relate the two and likewise to correlate the worship 
experience of the class with the total activity. 

The first teaching of this character in a school 
should be attempted by the most resourceful and 
skilled teacher. This teacher should have a class that 
is likely to enter into the project with zeal. Classes 
differ greatly in this respect. Boys and girls who have 
done things for themselves are far more responsive 
than those who are accustomed to have life made easy 
for them. Some pupils by their experience in the public 
school, in clubs, and in their homes are used to 
projecting. 

It seems quite unnecessary to ask that the initial 
attempts at project-teaching be given a fair trial. But 
there is so much that is new in the concept in spite of 
its age-old principles that perhaps it is well to guard this 
point. Having done so, let the method discovered 
through its application spread to other teachers as 
they watch the example. One good illustration in a 
school is better than an attempt of all the teachers to 
take up the idea without help or preparation. 

3. Plan and carry out a simple project—From the 
suggestions given in chapter v, ‘Discovering Projects 


INTRODUCING PRojECcT-TEACHING 171 


for Christian Education,” select a project which fits the 
situation. Then proceed to make a plan for its execu- 
tion. In so doing be sure to have this plan your own. 
Use the experience of others as far as it is helpful, but 
use your own originality as well. If project plans and 
courses made by others are available and well made, use 
them, but discriminatingly. The general steps and 
methods for carrying out a project as outlined in 
chapter vi may give some assistance. But at the 
beginning be content with a short and simple project, 
be careful to judge it by the tests of educative experi- 
ence, and give to its preparation time, thought, and 
effort. 

After you have carried out your plan with the 
necessary revisions, take time to evaluate your experi- 
ence as a teacher. Learning from your failures as well 
as from your successes, go on to another project. 


TEMPTATIONS OF THE BEGINNER 


It may not be amiss to point out that in the intro- 
duction of this new approach to church-school teaching 
there are several points at which the teacher is most 
liable to fail. 

1. Adequate preparation may be slighted. Plans of 
organization and execution may be hastily worked up. 
Even though the teacher does not expect to use all the 
plan he has thought out, it is well to have a reserve of 
things to do. Some may fail because of unforeseen 
events. And it is quite necessary to allow the pupils a 
choice of several ways of doing a thing. The same is 
true of source materials for similar reasons. The 


172 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


various techniques of project-development should be 
gone over carefully. Above all try to imagine possible 
points of failure and guard against them. Since there 
is so much freedom allowed both teacher and pupils in 
project-teaching, and since plans are but tentative, it is 
easy to be content with a meager and carelessly pre- 
pared plan. 

2. The meetings with the class may be unproduc- 
tive. ‘Time is likely to be wasted either by paying too 
much attention to one matter or taking too many side 
trips. The teacher may fail, on the one hand, to get far 
with the group meeting because he does everything 
himself for them or, on the other hand, because he 
insists that the class do everything. ‘There is a happy 
and common-sense division of effort and contributions, 
and this division should be carefully sought. To let a 
few members do all the work and give no chance to 
others is as much a temptation in project-teaching as 
elsewhere. 

3. Truly educational values may be overlooked. 
In the desire to cover much ground the leader may 
slight aspects of the experience which require emphasis. 
We have said that it is depth and reality of experience 
rather than many superficial experiences which makes 
for growth. Mere outward activity which classes are 
likely to engage in must not be allowed to pass for the 
activity that is beneath casual observation. Children 
may be giving a Thanksgiving dinner and be very busy 
about it, but if they are doing it with an attitude of 
condescension toward the recipients and some are talk- 
ing among themselves about the poorer members of 


INTRODUCING PRojECT-TEACHING 173 


their own class, the project is of doubtful Christian 
educational value. When the group is faced by the 
need for drill upon some process which is common to 
many life-situations, see to it that it is not passed by 
lightly. Here is the best time and the best way to 
secure motivation of drill—to make it a project, the 
successful execution of which is necessary to the happy 
outcome of the larger enterprise. 

The same caution should be observed with reference 
to the high points or “red-letter”’ climaxes connected 
with the project. If there is a worship service or com- 
munion service connected with the activity, see that it 
is not formal or merely for the pious members of the 
group. Ina natural and thoughtful way make the best 
use of it. There are many unexpected points in any 
project which lend themselves to effective emphasis. 
The public appearance of members of the group before 
their parents or friends offers opportunities to clinch 
resolutions and strengthen attitudes taken, and begin 
the formation of a desirable habit. The final step of 
evaluation should be approached in this manner. ‘The 
pupils need not be bored, for if they have enjoyed the 
activity now ending, they will be willing to take time 
to pass judgment upon it with reference to future use of 
the lessons acquired. In all group leadership, even 
when the values are less than hoped for, let the teacher 
keep before himself the ultimate aim of all his projects. 

4. The use of the term project may be overworked. 
One finds it hard to refrain from labeling his new pro- 
cedure. Nevertheless there is a real danger that 
project-teaching may be defeated by its friends. 


174 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


Since all things new must have names, it is but natural 
that some term should be used for the principles stressed 
in this volume. The term project is most applicable.’ 
Others may prefer to speak of the kind of educative 
process we have described by other names, such as the 
problem method, the learning-by-doing method, moti- 
vation, teaching to think, and others. It is not the 
name which gives it value, but what one means by 
the name. If the use of other names implies denial of 
the educational principles involved, then we prefer to 
insist upon the use of the word project; otherwise it 
makes little difference. 

While the teacher need not be ashamed to speak of 
his way of teaching as the project principle or method, 
it is often better to avoid the term in the company of 
those who are uninitiated. Officers, other teachers, and 
scholars? are likely to take on an attitude of doubt and 
sometimes hostility. ‘Discretion is often the better 
part of valor.” 


THE CHURCH’S OPPORTUNITY 


The church is now awake to the fact that its pro-— 
gram of action has failed to square with the needs of 
society. It realizes that it has been gradually drifting 
away from the thinking and action demanded by other 
social institutions. As a consequence the church has 
lost much of that leadership which it formerly possessed. 


1W. H. Kilpatrick, The Project Method, pp. 3-4. 
2 For light on the scholars’ viewpoint read ‘‘Student Reactions 


to the Project Method,” by R. W. Hatch in the Journal of Educa- 
tional Method, I (October, 1921), 25-27. 


INTRODUCING PROJECT-TEACHING 175 


As it now seeks once more to become the prophet of the 
new day, its attention is turned to the necessity of teach- 
ing the people who are to carry forward the task of 
building a new world. ‘‘The immediate duty of the 
church,” says a leading church historian, ‘‘is to resume 
the teaching function.”* In this statement he voices 
the thoughts of many leaders. The demand for pro- 
fessionally trained directors of religious education, the 
growth of week-day and vacation schools of religion, 
the insistence by some upon the teaching of ethics or 
religion in public schools, are indicative of the call for 
more religious education. 

The first thought of most leaders is to seize upon 
the methods used in former generations, when teaching 
was a prominent part of the church’s_ program. 
Methods of formal, catechetical instruction, instilling 
the truths.of the Bible into the hearts of the children 
by verse-learning and knowledge impartation are called 
for to produce Christian character able to cope with 
tomorrow’s problems. But the rank and file of earnest 
workers are unaware that such methods have some 
time since been discarded by educators. Christian 
character-training by means of direct study of prin- 
ciples, with no opportunity for self-directed activity 
and acceptance of consequences and responsibility, 
with little relation to real life, and with scant atten- 
tion to the problems which Christianity must face 
tomorrow, will not accomplish the purpose of the 
awakened church. 


tA. C. McGiffert, “A Teaching Church,” Religious Educa- 
tion, XVI (February, 1921), 5. 


176 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Other agencies of education in their endeavor to 
build character have adopted more advanced methods. 
The apparent failure of the church to educate for 
character has led to their initiation and growth. Begin- 
ning with boys and girls who needed attention and care, 
they disregarded the formal and direct methods used 
by the church in the past and worked out empirically 
new programs for character-development. Even the 
public school has come to put character-formation as 
its primary aim and sought more adequate methods. 

In an early chapter we sought to show that there 
is a distinct place for the Christian church in the field 
of character-education. ‘The question the church must 
face is whether it will go on dogmatically insisting upon 
more of the outworn methods of imparting lifeless 
knowledge by means of authority, worthless devices, 
and appeals to popular emotional enthusiasm, or will 
profit by the experience of other agencies of character- 
education and move in the direction of teaching by 
enlisting the coming generation in wholehearted, pur- 
poseful Christian activity. 


INTRODUCING PRojECcT-TEACHING 177 


SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 


Cummins, R. A. Articles in the Journal of Educational 
Method, Vol. III: 

‘Supervised Study and the Project Method,” No. 3, 
November, 1923, pp. 105-8. 

“Safe Steps toward the Project Method,’ No. 5, 
January, 1924, pp. 206-10. 

Hosic, J. F. Articles in the Journal of Educational Method, 
VOLT: 

“Criteria of Success in Project Teaching,’ No. 8, 
April, 1923, Pp. 329-35. 

“Possible Applications of the Project Idea,’ No. 9, 
May, 1923, pp. 380-85. 

“The Project Method (Concluded), No. 10, June, 
1923, Pp. 429-34. 

Hunter, F. M. ‘‘The Project Method—What May Be 
Accomplished in the Ordinary Classroom,” Journal of 
Educational Method, II (November, 1922), 101-11. 

Kilpatrick, W. H., Bagley, William C., Bonser, F. G., 
Hosic, J. F., and Hatch, R. W., ‘“‘Dangers and Diff- 
culties of the Project Method and How to Overcome 
Them—A Symposium,” Teachers College Record, XXII 
(September, 1921), 283-321. 


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INTRODUCTORY NOTE 


The following descriptions of projects (classified by 
departments)! which have enlisted the activity of 
pupils in our church schools are given to make more 
vivid and concrete the principles and methods dis- 
cussed in Part I. Some of the experiences herein 
reported are doubtless typical of enterprises which are 
becoming increasingly recognized as belonging to a 
modern curriculum of Christian education. Others are 
more unique and suggest the direction which project- 
teaching must take if the quality of Christian education 
is to be steadily improved. Because of the necessity 
for brevity the accounts can reveal but partially 
and indistinctly the values for character-development 
which accompanied the experience. If, however, these 
accounts encourage the eager beginner in the use of 
the project principle to “‘launch out,” they will have 
served one purpose in the mind of the author. If, in 
addition, they are the means of stimulating further the 
imaginative and resourceful teacher who has had more 
experience in this effective approach, they will serve a 
second purpose. The exchange of experiences brings 
to all of us fresh insights and a larger faith. 


t The standard divisions of a departmentalized church school 
are followed in classifying the descriptions rather for convenience 
than because of any belief in the finality of this basis for grading. 
See chap. xi, especially pp. 152-54. 


181 


182 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


It is to be hoped that no teacher who reads these 
descriptions will seek to utilize the suggestions obtained 
from them without first studying the materials of the 
chapters in Part I. The true disciple of the project 
principle will not use this experience of others as a 
scheme or device to rush pupils into feverish exertion. 
He will think of it merely as a suggestive guide and 
make sure that any activity planned is purposefully 
entered into, is carried through with intelligent under- 
standing, and has as an outcome a definite improvement 
in ability to practice the “good way of life.” 


SECTION I 


PROJECTS OF BEGINNERS 


1. A FRIENDSHIP PARTY: 


The church in which this project took place had just 
assumed the responsibility of helping to care for an Italian 
church in another section of the city. It occurred to the 
leader of the little children’s group that such a situation 
would furnish an opportunity of teaching missions through 
actual contact. In spite of some misgivings on the part of 
parents she resolved to try. 

In the course of a number of lessons on family relation- 
ships, in which the children reported how they helped at 
home, and criticized actions which grew out of their own 
playing house with dolls, an idea came to the teacher. She 
played “visitor” and sought to teach the children how to 
entertain others. For several sessions this was kept up. 
Pictures of children greeting guests at the door and sharing 
toys with others, as well as the story of Elisha’s entertain- 
ment by the rich woman were used. ‘Then she asked: 
‘“Would you like to have some real company ?” 

The children, of course, welcomed the idea. Then she 
told them about the Italian children, suggesting how they 
would enjoy a trolley ride and a chance to play in the park. 
This was followed by a discussion of how they would show 
real company a good time. The children repeated the 


t Adapted by permission from an article by Jessie Eleanor 
Moore in World Neighbors for January, 1924. The Methodist 
Book Concern. 


183 


184 THE PRojECT PRINCIPLE 


phrases they had used in entertaining each other, offered 
the use of their dolls, suggested games to play and good 
things to eat, and thought that the Italian children would 
especially enjoy the great organ which always was a treat 
to themselves. An invitation letter was prepared in accord- 
ance with the children’s ideas: ‘‘Dear Children: Please 
come to Church. If you do, you may play with our 
dolls and our new wagon. If you want to we will play 
games. Come at three o’clock and we will be right by the 
door. We send our love.” 

The following week was one of preparation. Making 
boxes for candy, planning for games, promptings about 
good manners, and the reading of the acceptance from the 
Italian children filled the session. The next week came the 
party. The little visitors, to whose mothers tactful sug- 
gestions had been made about cleanliness, finally arrived. 
After a few moments of awkwardness the feelings of strange- 
ness disappeared. The entertainment features were carried 
out as planned. But best of all was the treat the visitors 
gave their hosts by singing a number of their songs, includ- 
ing ‘Jesus Loves Me,” in Italian. Then came the enjoy- 
ment of the great organ and after this the good things to 
eat. When they took their places at the tables, a little 
girl visitor was without a chair. The boy, who heretofore 
had been the most selfish and difficult to manage, gave her 
his own and went for another. The number of guests was 
larger than anticipated and three were without candy box 
favors. Immediately the hosts gave theirs to the visitors 
who were lacking. The party closed with the refreshments 
and the Italian children departed, calling back ‘‘Thank you, 
for the good time,” with their little hosts and hostesses 
replying, ‘“‘Good-by! Come again.” 

It is not difficult to see the values of this project for the 
children. The contacts made had far greater worth educa- 





PROJECTS OF BEGINNERS 185 


tionally than mere giving of money. The children’s fellow- 
ship was greatly enlarged. New ideas were gained, new 
attitudes were taken, and actual habits of Christian friend- 
ship were started. The reality and permanency of the 
experience were increased by the fact that the whole 
project had started from and had continually made use of 
the interests of the everyday life of the children. The 
development of a spirit of mutual friendship was particularly 
helped by the fact that the Italian children contributed their 
share to the total happiness of the occasion, which elimi- 
nated the condescending attitude frequently found in 
missionary education. 


2. A PLAY APPROACH TO CHRISTMAS GIVING? 


The children in this group at their previous meeting had 
- apparently entered eagerly into a plan for filling a box with 
toys for a nearby nursery as a Christmas gift. The teacher 
had shown pictures of the nursery babies going to bed in 
their little white cribs. She had also told them how other 
classes in the church school were planning to make the little 
babies happy, one class making rompers, another buying 
a crib, and a third furnishing the Christmas dinner. So 
when she asked her children, ‘“‘What else do they need ?”’ 
they had suggested playthings. Accordingly they had 
entered upon the project of collecting a box of toys. 

But in spite of the fact that the box had been covered 
with bright paper and was ready to receive the gifts which 
should have been brought this Sunday, the only contribu- 
tion was the ball given by the teacher. The usual anticipa- 
tion of a selfishly enjoyed Christmas seemed to have crowded 
out the giving spirit. 

t Adapted by permission from an article by Jessie Eleanor 


Moore in the Pilgrim Elementary Teacher for January, 1924. The 
Pilgrim Press. 


186 Tuer PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


In the course of the day’s program, after telling the 
story of the shepherds, the teacher began to sing the Christ- 
mas song, 


Jesus, our brother, strong and good, 

Was humbly born in a stable rude, 

And the friendly beasts around him stood, 
Jesus, our brother, strong and good. 


= 


Neither the story nor this first verse seemed to arouse any 
enthusiasm in the children. Then came the second verse, 


“T,”’ said the donkey, shaggy and brown, 
“T carried his mother up hill and down, 

I carried her safely to Bethlehem town’’; 
“T,”’ said the donkey, shaggy and brown. 


Immediately one of the boys began to crawl about on his 
hands and feet. ‘‘He’s the donkey! He’s the donkey that 
carried his mother up hill and down,” called the children, 
all alive with interest. One girl suggested they sing the 
verse about the cow, for she wanted to be the cow. Another 
fixed the hay for the cow by putting two chairs together. 
Still another wanted to be the dove and they all sang that 
verse. 

Then came the statement from a boy, ‘‘ They all wanted 
to give him something,” to which the teacher responded, 
‘““That’s what everyone does on Jesus’ birthday. We all 
give gifts to make someone happy and that’s just the same 
as if we gave them to him.”’ One of the boys now remem- 
bered his promise and said, ‘‘I had a wagon home for the 
babies. I forgot to bring: it.” Immediately all recalled 
their promises and for some time they talked about what 
they intended giving the babies in the nursery. ‘The box 
will be full next Sunday,” they prophesied. ‘True to their 
renewed promises they brought gifts enough to fill the box. 


PROJECTS OF BEGINNERS 187 


The outcomes of this experience for the children were of 
course centered about the formation of habits of service as 
the true expression of the Christmas spirit. From the 
teacher’s standpoint the law is revealed that habits come 
not from good intentions, but with carrying a project 
through to completion. This completion of the act was no 
doubt prevented by the fact that the earlier purposing had 
not been sufficiently from the pupil’s standpoint. But with 
the play approach came immediate interest and a satisfac- 
tion which insured the “‘ carrying through”’ of the enterprise. 


3. LEARNING TO SAY “THANK YOU” 


The lesson-experience herein described developed from 
a play period during the week of Thanksgiving. The little 
children had begun to amuse themselves with the picture 
books and a doll which had been provided. One little boy 
was observed holding the doll at the table and pretending 
to feed it. 

This situation gave the teacher a suggestion. She took 
the scissors and cut a paper plate which she then offered to 
him. He accepted it and proceeded with the feeding pro- 
cess. The other children saw what had happened and all 
began to ask for dishes. The teacher was kept busy supply- 
ing the demand. Soon one of the boys suggested that his 
mother’s dishes had flowers on them and that he wanted to 
color his. This he proceeded to do and was followed by 
the other children. After this activity the children played 
at setting the table. 

At the teacher’s query as to what they should have for 
dinner, the first response (from a boy) was, “ Pumpkin pie.”’ 


t Adapted by permission from an article by Jessie Eleanor 
Moore in the Pilgrim Elementary Teacher for May, 1923. The 
Pilgrim Press. 


188 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


A girl then suggested potatoes, but was immediately 
followed by one of the boys who said, ‘‘No, first of all you 
say, ‘Thank you, heavenly Father.’” 

At this point the teacher drew forth testimonies as to 
whether or not the children had family grace in their homes. 
Several repeated the forms used. Then the leader told them 
that in the room there was a picture of two children saying 
grace (Jessie Wilcox Smith’s “‘Grace at Table’’). One little 
girl quickly discovered it and all came to look at it. Witha 
few questions, the teacher directed their thoughts. “What 
things are the children naming in their prayer?” ‘“‘What is 
in the pitcher?” ‘Are they saying ‘Thank you’ for any- 
thing except things to eat?” In answer to this last the 
children suggested the blue sky, the red geranium, and the 
bird in the cage. Then came the question, ‘‘ What shall we 
say ‘Thank you’ for today ?”’ to which there were numerous 
answers. 

The children stood about the picture in an informal 
group. No directions were given about folded hands and 
bowed head. ‘The living children unconsciously imitated 
the children in the picture. As the pianist played a few 
soft chords, the teacher made the prayer, weaving in all the 
suggestions which had come out in the conversation. Then 
she closed by singing softly the thank-you song, 


We thank the heavenly Father, 

. We thank the heavenly Father, 

We thank the heavenly Father, 
Kind and ‘good. 


The values of such an experience as this are due largely 
to the fact that everything which happened developed most 
naturally out of the play spirit. The children entered with- 
out diminished interest into the religious interpretation of 
the events of their daily lives. They found prayer a most 


PROJECTS OF BEGINNERS 189 


natural procedure and it was connected with the things 
they held dear. The fact that there was no break in the 
series of happenings and that the teacher had not forced 
them to pray indicates that the Jesson became a part of life 
and not mere words. This naturalness and satisfyingness 
guaranteed a lesson in prayer which was truly learned. 


4, A CHRISTMAS PARTY: 


How it started.—The teacher wanted her children (four 
to six years of age) to have a real giving Christmas—to have 
the joy of giving themselves and seeing the result of their 
gifts. About a month before Christmas she secured the 
names of four children (as many as could be cared for) 
from the Associated Charities. These children were just 
the age of those in the church school. Then she visited 
their homes and found out as much as she could about them, 
their names, what they wanted for Christmas, etc. 

This information was put before the children of the 
church school with the suggestion that unless someone 
helped they would not have a happy Christmas. When 
asked whether they would like to give a party for these 
children and get them the hoped-for presents, and possibly 
others also, of course the response was “ Yes.”’ 

What happened.—Each Sunday we talked about the 
party, about our four guests-to-be, about what presents 
they would like and those we would bring, and the happy 
time everyone would have. As a part of their rest period 
the pupils trimmed an imaginary Christmas tree and put 
on and around it the gifts for Jack, and Helen, and 
Mary, and Robert. How they all loved that part of the 
service! 


t Reported by Elizabeth Harris, Boston University, Boston, 
Massachusetts. 


190 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


In the meantime we had talked with the mothers, so 
that the children (our guests) were properly arrayed in 
party clothes and were brought to the church in autos. 
This was, of course, the beginning of the “party” for them. 
Then we had our tree in the church parlor and the gifts 
which the children had brought were given to their four 
little friends very early in the program. 

After this we played the usual games which little chil- 
dren love, had our ice-cream, and gave every child a little 
souvenir as they went home. 

Evaluation——This experience had several values for 
our children. 

1. It enlarged their social horizon most decidedly. 
“Giving to others” is usually indefinite and intangible. 
They really shared their joy, their thoughts, their interest, 
as well as their gifts, with these four friends. 

2. They saw that they were just like themselves, not 
“the poor,” or people from another realm. 

3. The most noticeable result was the joy which the 
children got out of this project, which had become their 
own as soon as it was first mentioned. 

There were difficulties such as arise in enterprises of 
this kind. 

1. Our pupils experienced the great disillusionment that 
comes to us all, when we see that the object of our benev- 
olence is made of the same kind of clay that we are. In 
this case one of the visitors quite misbehaved, which made 
us all, the children even more than the grown-ups, suffer 
keenly. 

2. There was a lack of understanding on the part of 
mothers. We tried to have the parents of all the children 
understand that, while we wanted our four guests to have a 
happy time, the purpose was really the education of our 
own children. Some of them did and co-operated wonder- 


PROJECTS OF BEGINNERS IQI 


fully. It was their children who really loved it all and 
received the most benefit. 

Others, only one or two among a group of about thirty, 
insisted that their children give the traditional things to 
the ‘‘poor.”’ One little boy was very enthusiastic about the 
whole matter, and wanted to give one of his own favorite 
playthings; but his mother ridiculed the idea, and sent him 
with a couple of old discarded books. For him all the joy 
of the day was gone. Perhaps we should have tried harder 
to make the mother see. However, she was one of the 
active workers in the church and we took her understanding 
for granted. At least in some way we might have spared 
the child the pain and humilation of bringing a gift which 
he himself felt was unworthy. 


5. KINDNESS TO ANIMALS: 


The significant fact about this “‘ purposeful experience”’ 
is that the teacher sidetracked the lesson for the day to take 
advantage of an event in which the children were intensely 
interested. The program book called for a lesson under the 
theme, ‘‘The Sun, a Helper.” It was a warm spring day 
and the teacher began by directing the children’s conversa- 
tion about picking flowers and planting gardens toward the 
day’s theme. Then came as the climax a prayer of thanks. 

Just as the children raised their heads at the conclusion 
of the prayer they saw a brown, shaggy dog standing in the 
doorway. They immediately expressed their interest with 
such exclamations as, “‘Oh, a doggie!” ‘Hello,’ and 
“Whose brown doggie are you?” ‘The teacher decided to 
let the children watch the dog. After going from child to 


t Adapted by permission from an article by Jessie Eleanor 
Moore in the Pilgrim Elementary Teacher for November, 1923. 
The Pilgrim Press. 


192 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


child, he stopped at the chair of the smallest child in the 
group and laid his head in her lap. The dog was plainly 
tired after his search for his little mistress on a warm day. 
As he went nosing about the room again he discovered water 
in the bowl of flowers. ‘‘Oh, he’s thirsty,’ exclaimed the 
children. ‘‘He loves Lucy so he came to find her and got 
tired,” explained Herbert, one of the older boys. 

As the teacher watched the scene she decided to lay 
aside her previous lesson plan. She requested Herbert to 
get a dish from the cabinet and bring the dog some fresh 
water. He had scarcely set the dish of water on the floor 
before the dog had lapped it up and barked quietly ‘‘ Bow! 
wow!” ‘He wants more.” ‘He got so thirsty trying to 
find Lucy,” said the children. Three of them in turn were 
sent to refill the dish for the thirsty dog. Then, as the dog 
walked away to a corner of the room to lie down and rest, 
the teacher produced some pictures. One showed two 
children feeding a cat, another a little girl scattering corn 
for the hens, the third a little boy with his pet bunny. 
Following the conversation growing out of the scenes in the 
pictures and the dog’s visit, the children drew dishes of food 
for pets and learned a new song, ‘“‘I Love Little Pussy.” 

Then the teacher called them close to her and said, ‘“‘I 
will tell you a story.” With the greatest interest the 
children listened as she concluded the hour by telling the 
story of the Good Shepherd who went to find his lost sheep. 

The use of this unforeseen event by the teacher had 
kept the interest at a high level throughout. The chil- 
dren were active in body and mind in devoting them- 
selves to the care of animals. The experience had been 
directly typical of real happenings in the lives of children. 
But the teacher had raised the plane of thinking from the 
commonplace to give the whole experience a Christian inter- 
pretation and had kept her children with her to the end. 


SECTION II 


PROJECTS OF PRIMARY CHILDREN 


6. LEADING A PRIMARY WORSHIP SERVICE? 


In a Philadelphia church the superintendent of the 
primary department gave unusual care to the service of 
worship. The children were taught to appreciate the mean- 
ing of its various parts, and the eight-year-old class helped 
make some of the orders for worship under the director’s 
guidance. Then the children suggested that one of their 
number might lead the service on which they were working, 
and were helped to see the need of careful preparation for 
the task. Quite informally they made suggestions as to 
which of their number might lead the service, and one of the 
boys, eight years old, was finally chosen. 

He took the responsibility very seriously. The prep- 
aration became an engrossing class interest and study for 
parts of the session for some weeks before the occasion. On 
the day when he led, the superintendent, the primary-grade 
teachers, and one official in religious education in the denomi- 
nation were present, with about forty children of the 
primary grade. 

The leader called on several members of the class for 
parts of the service, for whose assistance arrangements had 
been carefully made. “I will ask Richard Brown to 
announce our first hymn,” which Richard did, reading the 
opening lines. One class recited a memory verse. The 
boy who read the Bible selection mispronounced a word; 


™ Reported by Florence Buck, Department of Religious Edu- 
cation, American Unitarian Association, Boston, Massachusetts. 


193 


194 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


the leader spoke of it afterward to his teacher and ‘‘hoped 
that it wasn’t noticed.”” The prayer was given by the 
leader, who also led the school in the Lord’s Prayer following. 
It was all very simple and childlike, but reverent and earnest. 

Certain results were apparent. One was the sym- 
pathetic interest and attention of the whole group of chil- 
dren during the entire service. The hymns, readings, and 
prayers took oh new meaning and attractiveness, when given 
from the lips of one of their own group. Another result was 
the effect on the leader himself. He was one of the shyest 
boys in the department, and the teachers were amazed at 
his poise, his modest assurance in this, his first, public 
appearance. Absorbed by the effort to lead others in 
worship, he forgot himself. 

Desire to serve in the same way was soon manifested 
by others, and the privilege was granted only to those who 
were willing to do the hard work involved in preparation of 
the service, in co-operative effort, and in training themselves 
for leadership. 


7. HOW A COURSE GREW: 


A staff committee had the task of developing a course 
for eight-year-olds which should not only start from the 
actual problems of children, but also take account of the 
fact that countless new problems would arise as the course 
was used in any school. Two further premises were also 
accepted, viz., that the week-day and Sunday programs 
should be viewed as an inseparable unit, and that there was 
no predetermined amount or kind of material to be “put 
across.”” Obviously, however, there must be something 
with which to begin. The committee agreed to plan a 
tentative program for the first month of the fall upon the 


* Reported by Jeanette E. Perkins, editorial staff, Congrega- 
tional Publishing Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF PRIMARY CHILDREN 195 


assumption that the child’s school relationships needed 
religious interpretation. They thought of a few of the 
questions which are most frequently asked by children of 
eight. Why do I have to go to school? Learn tables? 
Do hard things? Why does the teacher like Joe better 
than me? Why can’t I hold the flag? Lead the march? 
Why do I have to keep still? Why can’t we tell each 
other the answers? Why don’t the children like me? 
What makes Angelo talk so funny? Tom hit me; why 
shouldn’t I hit back? Why can’t I go to the movies? etc. 

One member of the committee was to try the suggested 
programs in her church at Bennington, Vermont. A New 
Haven, Connecticut, church was to furnish a second experi- 
ment station. From the interests of the children in these 
two groups, and the actual needs brought to light by their 
responses, the course would develop. It was expected that 
emergencies, both big and little, would be constantly arising 
to cause the wrecking of the carefully laid plans. Quarrels, 
acts of selfishness, generous deeds, epidemics, national 
disasters, and what not might be brought to the forefront 
of the child’s experience. 

This is precisely what happened. As the committee 
met, month by month, before it made any plans for the 
weeks ahead, it heard what the last month’s program had 
brought forth. Detailed reports from both experiment 
stations showed how the original outline had been used, 
changed, or discarded, what responses had caused substitu- 
tions, and what these substitutions were. 

The committee heard reports of tattling; of Marion’s 
lying; Stuart’s losing his temper; John’s hesitancy in join- 
ing in the games; the spoiling of whole programs by lack 
of self-control; how one father’s store was saved from a fire, 
as a direct answer, as Florrie thought, to her prayer. Learn- 
ing these things, the committee planned again, so that 


196 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


projects might be carried through with enthusiasm by the 
pupils because they arose naturally out of such problems as 
the above mentioned. Asa result, the members of the com- 
mittee would hear of reactions such as the following: ‘“‘We 
made that song ourselves; it’s all ours!” ‘‘Wasn’t that a 
nice party though? Some different from the Christmas 
one—we didn’t run that!” “It [a program] would have 
been better, if-we’d paid more attention. Can’t we have 
something else like that sometime?” ‘‘Gee, I hope I don’t 
get acting funny” (before a party). 

To interpret life adequately to these children, of course, 
the teacher had to learn their whole environment. Mothers 
and day-school teachers, when visited, became heartily 
interested and shared their knowledge of these boys and 
girls. Mothers kept their word to see that attendance was 
as regular as at day school. Some dropped the dancing- 
class from the child’s schedule. Others offered everything 
from cakes to needles and thimbles to show their apprecia- 
tion. They came to see that the test of success in any course 
of religious education is not how many scripture passages, 
hymns, or other beautiful poems have been learned, although 
these did come, but rather in the fact that their children were 
becoming more kindly, more truthful, fairer in games, less 
quarrelsome, more cheerful in the face of disappointments, 
or better able to control their tempers.? 


Epitor’s Notre.—The record of the experimentation with 
this course has been published by the Pilgrim Press (Jeanette E. 
Perkins, At School with the Great Teacher). The record shows 
the programs as originally outlined by the committee, how the 
different leaders made changes, and what the results were. It 
should prove exceedingly helpful, not only as a body of cur- 
riculum material, but as a guide to the method of project-teaching 
with primary children. 


™ As an illustration of how one boy taking this course met the 
problem of controlling his temper, see Description No. 10, p. 199. 


PROJECTS OF PRIMARY CHILDREN 197 


8. MAKING A SCRAPBOOK FOR A JAPANESE 
MISSION SCHOOL? 


Situation out of which the project grew.—The class, made 
up of boys and girls eight years old, had completed the group 
of missionary lessons, in the ‘‘Primary Graded Series, 
Year II.” The children had taken great interest in these 
studies of the Indian, Japanese, and Eskimo children. 
The teacher felt the need of class activity in carrying over 
the impressions received into habits of helpfulness. 

Method of carrying out the project—The effort was made 
to have children do their own thinking in solving these 
problems and this was done, as far as time permitted. The 
class was asked to tell what they liked best about the lesson 
stories. The members agreed they liked the stories and 
pictures which told how these far-away friends lived and 
played. The teacher made the suggestion that these little 
friends would also like to know how we lived and played. 
What could we do to tell them about our country, and 
how we lived? These problems brought about much dis- 
cussion, e.g., ““Write a story,” ‘Write a letter,” “Draw 
pictures,’ etc. It was finally decided that the class make a 
scrapbook, showing pictures of American children and how 
they lived, worked, and played. The teacher provided a 
scrapbook, 12X9. A page was given to each subject and 
labeled. 

The project took several months for its completion. 
Numerous sub-projects and problems were brought in and 
worked out. Most of the pictures were cut from current 
magazines and pasted in by the children. Not only was 
activity provided for, but judgment and real thinking were 
demanded, as well as the experience of working together 


Reported by Marie McDonald, professor of religious 
education, Columbia College, Columbia, South Carolina. 


198 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


secured. ‘The book as completed illustrated by pictures the 

following subjects: 

Our Country—pictures of map, flag, and President of United 
States 

Our Homes—pictures of both the exterior and interior of typical 
American homes 

Our Church—kodak pictures of our church and Sunday school 

Our School—postcard pictures of several school buildings in the 
city P 

The Way We Travel—illustrated by pictures 

The Way We Dress—illustrated by pictures 

Our Food—pictures of grains, vegetables, fruits, etc. 

Animals of Our Country 

Birds of Our Country 

Flowers of Our Country 

Our Seasons—pictures illustrating winter, spring, summer, autumn 

Play Time—pictures of children at play 

Our Holidays—pictures illustrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, 
Fourth of July 


9. A VALENTINE? 


As the valentine season was approaching the teacher of a 
second-year primary class brought the subject up for dis- 
cussion. Out of this interesting topic arose the project of 
sending a valentine to the superintendent of the department. 
This involved a discussion as to what it should be. The 
decision was: “‘A Message of Love to Mrs. Migicial Coats 
in turn, brought up the question as to what would be a’ 
message of love, and the answer was guided into the realm 
of the concrete deeds of love which could be performed in 
the school. Then each child wrote independently a message 
of love and signed it. These were written on heart-shaped 
pieces of paper and bound together with red heart-shaped 





* Reported by Freda Rathburn, teacher, First Baptist Church 
School, Newton Centre, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF PRIMARY CHILDREN 199 


covers. On the outside was printed “‘A Message of Love to 
Mrs. .’ The following are the messages: 


I will pay attention. HucHIE 

I will not throw chairs around. CHARLES 

I will pick up scrap papers. MILpRED 

I will not destroy material which others wish to use. ANGIE 

I will not poke or punch my neighbor during the worship hour. 
ARTHUR 

IT will try to be always on time Sunday morning. ANN 

I will try harder to learn the songs. JANE 

I will not be late. ANNIE 

I will remember to bring what I promised. DiIckIE 

I will try to bring a new member for my class. Mary 

I will close my eyes, bow my head, and keep silent during prayer. 
AUSTIN 

I will be a gentleman at all times. ROBERT 

I can and I will help with the singing. JoHN 

I want to be of service to everyone. HELEN 





This project furnished an opportunity for the discussion 
of love in a very practical, concrete way and made possible a 
genuine self-committal at a point where life was real to the 
child. 


10. A PROJECT IN SELF-CONTROL: 


Our week-day class of eight-year-old children was taking 
a hike one Saturday morning. Stuart T— lost his 
temper because one of the girls had called him “mean.” 
Her taunt had been caused by his careless handling of the 
nest which had been found. The result was that Stuart 
left the group, but later slunk back near them whittling a 





* Reported by Jeanette E. Perkins, editorial staff, Congrega- 
tional Publishing Society, Boston, Massachusetts. For a com- 
plete description of this and similar experiences with the same 
group, see the publication referred to in the note at the close 
of Description No. 7, p. 194. 


200 Tue PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


stick. Several of the boys joined him. After some whisper- 
ing they started an attack on the offending girl. The leader 
put herself in front of the girl saying, “‘You may beat me 
instead.” As Stuart came forward, she seized him by the 
coat. This thwarting of his purpose caused him to become 
very angry and he swore three times as he tried to jerk the 
girl away from the leader. Unsuccessful, he began to strike 
the leader, and became angrier than ever. ‘‘Get out of my 
way. It’s Florrie that needs beating. .... 

Words from the leader seemed to have little effect until 
she said, ‘‘ You have broken one of God’s commandments— 
you have taken the name of God in vain.”” Then she turned 
to the whole group and said, “‘ Children, we can never go on 
another hike, if things like this are going to happen... . . 
Only last Sunday we asked Jesus to go with us on this hike 
and help us not to do or say anything that he would not 


Stuart still remained sullen. In response to the leader’s 
request to leave the group, he said, ‘Well, you needn’t 
worry. I’ll never come to Sunday school again, nor near 
that old church for six years—maybe seven.” 

““T hope you won’t. But we'll be glad to see Stuart 
back.” ‘The others in the group caught the leader’s meaning 
and joined in, ‘Yes, we want Stuart to come back.” This 
was the climax. It dawned on him that he had not been 
master of himself. -He sobered down. 

Fortunately the finding of a cocoon a short time after 
brought a new interest into the situation. Each child took 
turns carrying it. After much humble pleading Stuart was 
given his chance because he had ‘“‘come back.” On the way 
home the leader talked to him and found an opportunity to 
discover how he had learned to swear. From his conversa- 
tions it was evident that he was sorry that he had spoiled 
the hike. 


PROJECTS OF PRIMARY CHILDREN 201 


Two months later when the question of another hike 
was up, all the children agreed that they had learned self- 
control. Plans were accordingly made. The leader talked 
with Stuart alone at the close of the session, finally saying, 
“‘T’ve been wondering if you wouldn’t like to do something 
special to make up to the group for spoiling the last one.” 
“Ves, I would.”’ She then suggested that he lead the hikers 
to some pussy willows and added, “Do you think your 
mother would make some cookies for the hike? You could 
go to the pussy willow place first and hide them and let 
the others discover them.” Stuart was delighted with 
the idea. 

The hike took place. Stuart, finding the plan of hiding 
the cookies impossible because of dogs being near, led the 
hikers near his home. With two of the boys he went to 
the house and brought out fifty-seven crisp, thin, sugar 
cookies which Mrs. T had baked. ‘Three cheers for 
Stuart.” “Three cheers for Stuart’s mother,” called one 
of the girls, and the group responded lustily. Mrs. T 
appeared on the scene and told the leader how Stuart had 
hardly been able to wait for the day of the hike. On the 
way back one of the girls asserted, ‘‘This is the best hike 
we've had,” and Stuart asked the leader, “‘Was I good, 
Miss P is 

This brief account suggests a method of treating prob- 
lems of character-development which is more effective than 
preaching and exhortation. The effectiveness of the treat- 
ment was due in large measure to (a) the fact that Stuart’s 
problem was continually kept in mind by the leader, (0) the 
making of a plan to help him, based on his own interests, 
(c) the relation of religion to the specific difficulties faced by 
children, and (d) the fact that the method of treatment was 
based upon the fact that the offender was a member of a 
social group. 











202 Tuer PRojEcCT PRINCIPLE 


11. A GOOD-HEALTH PROJECT" 


Situation out of which the project grew.—The project 
grew out of the study of the health lessons in the Second Year, 
Part 4, of the ‘Primary Graded Series,” and the need of 
carrying these lessons over into life, in forming a habit of 
self-control in eating. The only time available was the 
lesson period in the Sunday-school hour; therefore much of 
the handwork and other activities were necessarily omitted. 

Method of carrying out the project.—After a talk about 
strong, healthy bodies, the teacher suggested that the chil- 
dren try during the week to eat only the food that would 
make their bodies grow strong and keep well, and report on 
the following Sunday the things they had refrained from 
eating. The discussion of kinds of food good for strong 
bodies arose out of this problem. A large chart was then 
prepared, with these words printed in clear bold letters 
‘““Foods Which Make Our Bodies Strong.” The children 
were asked to bring pictures of foods to paste on the chart. 
The next Sunday the reports were called for. About half 
the class gave evidence of thought on the subject by bringing 
pictures and giving reports. Most of the pictures brought 
were highly colored and tempting dainties cut from the 
advertising sections of the magazines. Several children 
reported that mother would not let them cut up the maga- 
zines. ‘This offered an opportunity to carry the idea of self- 
control into other phases of life. The pictures were care- 
fully gone over, each article considered. One by one, pickles, 
candies, and tempting salads were reluctantly laid aside. 
The children then pasted the selected pictures on the chart. 

Evaluation of the project—Several weeks were spent in 
working out the project. By the reports of the children, 


™ Reported by Marie McDonald, professor of religious educa- 
tion, Columbia College, Columbia, South Carolina. 


PROJECTS OF PRIMARY CHILDREN 203 


evidence was given of better knowledge of proper food for 
children, and indications of better habits in eating. Several 
children proudly reported that they had given up such things 
as coffee and tea, as well as highly seasoned foods. 


12. DISCOVERING A NEIGHBOR! 


A project among young children in the primary grade is 
a different affair from one elsewhere. Opportunities for 
co-operation must usually be found at the leader’s sugges- 
tion. But the project offers one of the best opportunities 
for planting the co-operative habit. 

Projects among primary children are of short duration, 
extended perhaps by added suggestion from the leader. 
Here is an ideal way to teach the good habit of perseverance. 

In other ways the project among primary children differs 
from type but the principle is present in many enterprises 
such as the following: 

Miss Edna Allen, superintendent of the Primary 
Department in Union Church School, allowed a refractory 
seven-year-old girl from an unfortunate home to remain with 
her after church Sunday after Sunday. The child rejoiced 
in carrying farther the expressional work in which she had 
delighted during the class hour. She often helped in putting 
primary room and supply cupboards in order. 

One day the child remarked, “‘I know a little boy that 
can’t come to Sunday school. He can’t even go to school. 
He is lame and just sits in a chair. His mother is away 
*most all day and the neighbors look after him a little. But 
he sits alone most of the time.” 

To the teacher’s suggestion that she take him some story 
papers the child responded, “‘Oh, he can’t read. He doesn’t 

Reported by Millacent P. Yarrow, chairman, Religious 


Education Committee, Union Congregational Church, Boston, 
Massachusetts. 


204 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


know anything’”’—out of the glory of her nearly two years 
in school! Miss Allen said she might take him the papers 
and tell him the stories. ‘‘Yes—why, I might teach him 
to read!” 

And from this impulse developed a systematic effort to 
share with this less fortunate one the privileges of knowl- 
edge. Patiently every day the little girl gave the lame child 
a lesson in reading and fine progress he made. Miss Allen, 
an experienced public-school teacher, showed the child just 
how to teach her “‘entrance class.” 

The entire primary-department group were soon work- 
ing together to enrich this shut-in life. Every Sunday some 
class made for him an extra copy of the greeting card or 
Easter lily or missionary reminder or whatever had been 
their class expression for the day. If flowers or pussy 
willows or Perry pictures were distributed to class or depart- 
ment, one went to the little cripple. Once a group went 
from the church and sang under his window. He was in 
this way adopted as a member of the department. 

The little girl who had been a problem in the department 
became interested and helpful. Later it was discovered that 
she was bringing a fine influence into her home. The whole 
department seemed to learn more of the real spirit of mis- 
sions through this near-at-hand project than through any 
other means. 

That the little girl’s project led to more far-reaching 
results for the little neighbor—investigation and wise 
treatment which we hope will bring him relief and oppor- 
tunity—is another story. We mention it in justice to the 
church that does not neglect such tasks. 


SECTION III 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR BOYS AND GIRLS 
13. OUR FRIENDS, THE AMERICAN INDIANS: 


During the first semester of 1922-23, the regular course 
of study for the children of the fifth grade of United Church 
School, Oberlin, Ohio, was called: ‘“‘Our Friends, Near and 
Far.” The selection of the American Indians as the first 
group of “our friends”? was not surprising, because of con- ~ 
tacts that these boys and girls had had during the previous 
year with Mr. Philip Frazier, a fine young Indian student of 
Oberlin College. On one or two occasions he had visited 
the Junior group, dressed in Indian costume, had told them 
about Indian life, and had sung Indian songs. 

It was assumed in the beginning that the children would 
be permitted to choose other racial groups in succession, 
but as it developed, the entire semester was devoted to the 
one people. 

As usual, the boys and girls met in separate classes. It 
was their avowed purpose to find out more about the Ameri- 
can Indian, how he lives, what he does for us, and how we 
may help him. Each group decided to use notebooks, in 
order to keep a record of what they discovered. The 
teachers had copies of the same outline to follow, except in 
so far as the decision of the children might lead them in 
another direction. The outlines covered such topics as 
these: ‘‘The Indian among Us”; “Why We Should Help 


Reported by John Leslie Lobingier, educational pastor, 
United Church, Oberlin, Ohio. 


205 


206 THE PrRojEcT PRINCIPLE 


Him”; ‘‘What He Has Given to Us”; “What We Have 
Given to Him”; ‘‘How Christianity Is Being Given to 
Him”; ‘“‘What Their Own Religion Is”; ‘‘Which Religion 
Is Better’; “‘A Christian School for the Indians.”’ 

The children’s librarian in the public library put a 
number of books dealing with Indian life on a special shelf, 
and many of the children read the books or looked at the 
pictures in them during the week. At different times they 
also brought to the class pictures of Indian life, and these 
were supplemented by Perry pictures which the teachers 
secured. Many of these found a permanent place in the 
notebooks. The boys’ group used some of the larger 
pictures for a chart, which told the story of what the class 
had done, and served as a permanent class record, as the 
notebooks served as a permanent record for the individual 
members of the class. 

The girls’ group spent their last few weeks working up a 
little play. It was their own work, built out of certain 
Indian stories they had read and information they had 
received during the course. The first scene centered about 
the futile attempt of the Indian medicine men to cure a 
snake bite. The second scene introduced the Christian 
doctor from a mission school. The third scene portrayed 
the daily life at a Christian school for Indians, the Santee 
Normal Training School. 

The girls presented this little play at a meeting of the 
Women’s Association of the church, to which the parents 
were also invited. At the same time the boys had their 
chart and notebooks on side tables for exhibition. 

Early in the fall the group voted as usual on the cause 
to which its contributions were to go for that quarter. 
Naturally enough they decided to use them for the Chris- 
tian school among the Indians at Santee. 

The value of such a project for the pupils is obvious. 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS 207 


1. They were interested in it, for it was their own. 

2. They developed an attitude of increasing friendliness 
for the American Indian. 

3. Their giving was intelligent, self-determined, and 
based on appreciative friendliness rather than on pity and 
condescension. 

4. They acquired a valuable fund of knowledge in 
regard to another racial group, and they acquired it by 
means of their own effort and activity. 


14, BUILDING AN INDIAN VILLAGE? 


The pupils were children, seven boys and twelve girls, 
of the ages nine to twelve years, in the Church School of 
Missions at Hillside Presbyterian Church, Orange, New 
Jersey. The school convened on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 
and continued on six successive Sundays. 

The aim for the Junior group was to create an attitude of 
friendliness toward the children of India and a sense of 
co-operation with others in a great task. 

Two young ladies who had attended the M.E.M. Con- 
ference at Silver Bay took charge of the group. One told 
the stories from The Wonderland of India to the boys and 
then to the girls, while in another room the other supervised 
each group in the building of the Indian village. 

The village was constructed on a platform 4X6 feet 
placed onatable. The walls of the houses were constructed 
first of corrugated paper, then covered with a gray plaster 
made of flour, salt, and water. 

The roofs were covered first with pasteboard and then 
with pine needles to simulate thatch. The shrine, the idol, 
the village well, and figures of men, women, and children 
were made of plasticine. 


* Reported by Miles B. Fisher, director of religious education, 
First Congregational Church, Berkeley, California. 


208 THe ProjEcT PRINCIPLE 


The whole was placed in the chapel when the School of | 
Missions had its closing session, where it gave pleasure and 
instruction to the older members of the school. 

This immediate use to which the village was put digni- 
fied the project in the eyes of the children and helped them 
to feel that their work was an important part of the school’s 
program. 


15. OUR PARISH CHURCH: 


Origin of the Project—The project originated in the 
need of an automobile for the rector. ‘The Mothers’ Meet- 
ing had planned a bazaar and sent a letter to the church school 
council (composed of representatives from each class in the 
junior high and senior departments) asking for the help of 
the school. The council voted to co-operate, with the 
result that every class and group was asked to plan what it 
would do for the sale. 

Development of the project—At its week-day meeting 
(from 4:00 to 5:00 on a Thursday afternoon) the junior 
department members (Grades IV, V, and VI) were asked 
whether they wished to co-operate. They voted “‘ Yes” and 
the next question was what they could do. Numerous sug- 
gestions were forthcoming, and the leader had on hand 
models of articles that could be made. Finally the boys 
decided to make sets of window wedges—cat-shaped—and 
the girls to make clothespin aprons. A committee was 
authorized to purchase materials, the cost to be divided 
among the classes working, and paid for by money voted 
from their class treasuries on Sunday. 

In carrying on the work, the boys and girls came to the 
parish house directly from school. ‘Those who were able to 
be there early were appointed by the president as a com- 


™ Reported by Frances Rose Edwards, director of religious 
education, St. Luke’s Church, Rochester, New York. 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS 209 


mittee to see that the materials for work were ready on 
the table and bench. Forty minutes were allowed for the 
actual work, at the end of which time the president rang the 
bell calling the group to its meeting around the large table. 
The president presided over the closing twenty minutes, hav- 
ing previously talked over her outline with the group leader. 
The usual program included: 

Hymn 

Roll call 

Reading of the secretary’s minutes 

Business—comparing of notes as to progress 

Talk about our parish 

Bible reading—by member appointed by president 

Prayers 

Closing hymn 

The talk about the parish developed naturally from the 
first meeting, when the question was raised as to how old our 
church was. This led to study of the Annals of the Parish, 
several trips into the church to view the cornerstone and the 
historic tablets, search for pictures of former rectors, and 
collecting of information as to how the church was governed, 
what the organizations of the church were, and what they did. 

Work and study together culminated in the worship 
element of the closing minutes, when we read something of 
Christ’s relation to the church, or of Paul’s counsels to the 
early Christians, and when we made our prayers for our 
parish, that we might be earnest and faithful members, 
helping it to stand for Christ and carry his message out 
into all the world. 

Results —The immediate results which were forthcoming 
included the development of skill in handwork (wood work 
and sewing), in the conduct of meetings, and in research 
and use of the Bible. There came also a wider knowledge of 
parish history, organization, and present needs, and an 


210 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


understanding of Jesus’ attitude toward the church. At 
the same time there was developed an attitude of loyalty to 
the church and a desire to be of service to it. 


16.) ‘CLASS WORSHIP SP RO [HC os 


In this Sunday school the best is not considered too good 
for the elementary grades. Each Sunday they meet for 
their own worship in the small but beautiful church audi- 
torium. ‘The class sessions, held in separate rooms, follow 
the worship period. In the instruction time definite train- 
ing in worship is given. Allusions are often made to ele- 
ments of the service, and its various features discussed. 
The children refer to the beauty of stained glass windows and 
carved stone, to the music of the organ and children’s choir, 
and to the stories. When the order of service is to be 
changed, as it is several times a year, the children are pre- 
pared and made ready to take part in the new arrangement 
of the service. 

One year the teacher of the fourth-grade girls and boys 
heard from parents of two boys in the class that each was 
regularly carrying on services at home. They were not boys 
who came in contact with each other outside the class. In 
each case it was a self-initiated project. 

In one instance there was an elaborate ritual. The 
boy and his father, in improvised gowns, marched into the 
room singing, while the mother played at the piano. The 
boy from time to time prepared an order of service and 
printed it on his typewriter for distribution, as was the 
custom at Sunday school. The parents were wise enough 
to follow the boy’s leadership and take part regularly in 


Reported by Mary Denniston, educational secretary, 
Metropolitan Federation of Daily Vacation Bible Schools, New 
York City. 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS = 211 


this form of family worship. The other boy was equally 
serious and systematic in his “church at home,” but with a 
Puritan’s emphasis upon the story (sermon) rather than the 
ritual. 

Soon afterward, the teacher suggested in Sunday school 
that these boys lead the class in similar services. This was 
done, and all the children seemed interested in having their 
own worship following the more formal service in the church. 
They discussed the program and decided that certain 
features such as singing were not appropriate in class and 
that the service must be short. But as the offering was 
collected in class, this became an important part of the class 
worship, as did the prayer that followed. 

Each week, a volunteer was called for as leader for the 
next Sunday. This duty was usually remembered and ~ 
prepared for. The “services” varied. Some children read 
from the Bible, the “Book of Worship” used in the school, 
or a book brought from home. A number of both boys and 
girls prayed very naturally and beautifully. Sometimes a 
story was told. The idea of a class prayer did not meet with 
approval this first year although it did, and was carried 
through, the next year, by the group then composing Grade 
IV. They also wanted their own class worship. 

This following year, the school inaugurated group wor- 
ship for Grades IV, V, and VI, once a month. Each grade 
led the worship one Sunday. ‘This necessitated a class com- 
mittee and considerable discussion as to what should be 
included in the service. This showed the need for a unifying 
idea or subject in the service. The fourth-grade children 
chose ‘‘Trust in God” and ‘Good Will.” They said that 
most of the stories, hymns, and Psalms that they knew 
were about these subjects. This was true, although the 
terms themselves had seldom been used. But the material 
chosen by the children showed understanding of their 


212 THE PRrojEcT PRINCIPLE 


meaning. And their original stories showed that they had 
caught the leader’s ability to teach through a story without 
‘“‘attaching a moral.” 

The third year, the fourth grade occupied the front pew 
in the school service of worship. The teacher suggested 
that those sitting behind would look to them as leaders, and 
that they could help, not only by being familiar with the 
order, but also with the words of the material in the service. 
This stimulated an interest in learning by heart many of the 
hymns and biblical passages in the ‘‘ Book of Worship.” 

This year the committee idea was carried farther. A 
class committee on worship met several times without the 
teacher. They appointed a leader for each Sunday, and 
also chose a subject for the service. There was fairly good 
co-operation among the other children. When the 
appointed leader was obliged to be absent he usually sent 
word that his place might be filled. 

These experiences in worship covering a period of three 
years seem to prove the following facts: 

1. That a junior child can and does participate in wor- 
ship that is adapted to his development. 

2. That much training is needed if this participation is 
to be intelligent and really religious. 

3. That the teacher should stimulate more thinking 
through presenting problems in connection with worship. 

4. That there are unlimited possibilities in this subject 
for an extensive series of correlated projects of unique 
religious value. 


17. A PROJECT ON INDIA: 


This project was started with a group of about thirty 
juniors who were organized into a week-day class, meeting 


™ Reported by Myra T. Borden, Newton Theological Institu- 
tion, Newton Centre, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS 213 


every Monday after school for the purpose of studying 
missions. A course on the American Negro had been finished 
and the new study was to be on India. The problem which 
faced the leader and her three assistants was not what to 
teach about India, but how to teach the subject in such a 
way as to make real to the boys and girls the great needs 
of India. How could this be done? 

The steps of procedure-—The leader first gained all the 
information she could concerning India through books, 
pictures, and conversations with returned missionaries. At 
a meeting of the four workers a three months’ program was 
planned. The aim was threefold: to acquaint the juniors 
with the needs of the people of India, to arouse their sym- 
pathies for them, and to give them opportunities to do some- 
thing to help them. To accomplish this aim each meeting 
was divided into three periods, the devotional, the instruc- 
tional, and the expressional. 

The devotional period was brief and centered about 
India. It was led each week by a different junior who 
planned his own program, including hymns, scripture, 
prayer, and any information he may have found on India. 
All the members of the class were encouraged to bring in 
stories and pictures of India, and to pray for its people. 
Following is an excerpt from one of the many prayers given 
by these juniors: ‘‘Bless the people in India and comfort 
them. Bless the missionaries that are trying so hard to 
teach about Thee. Help us to be kind to others and not to 
think so much about ourselves.” 

The instructional period consisted of information about 
India given by the leader through stories, pictures, and 
curios. The content of the instruction was correlated with 
the expressional work, the latter evolving from the former. 

For the expressional period the class was divided into 
three groups with one of the assistants as a leader of each 


214 THE PRojyECT PRINCIPLE 


group. There were three forms of expressional work which 
were repeated in order every three weeks. The first was 
the dramatization of a missionary story on India, ‘‘Mano- 
rama,” by Margaret Applegarth. Through dramatiza- 
tion these stories were woven into a simple play which the 
boys and girls gave before their parents at the exhibition 
which marked _the close of the project. 

The second form of expressional activity was the making 
of three types of Indian villages, one being made by each 
group. The mud huts of the Lowlands were represented 
by covering square and round boxes with brown plasticine. 
The roofs were made of paper covered with natural raffia. 
The Assamese houses were made by covering pasteboard 
boxes with strips of manila paper woven together. A mis- 
sionary compound consisting of a church, school, hospital, 
and missionary home was made by the boys. Pasteboard 
foundations were covered with plasticine, white on the sides 
and red on the roofs. These villages were mounted sepa- 
rately on beaver board foundations, painted brown. Each 
village had several palm trees made out of twigs, green 
crépe paper and brown plasticine. Indian wells were also 
made of stones and plasticine. 

The third form of work and the most important, because 
it developed altruism in the boys and girls, was the making of 
articles to be sent to India. These included scrapbooks, 
dressed dolls, toy animals, puzzles, and knitted washcloths. 
During these periods nearly three hundred bandages were 
rolled and sent to Ongole. 

The climax of the project came in the exhibition to which 
the parents and friends of the juniors were invited. While 
the class worked together in making general preparations, 
such as entertainment and the exhibit, each group was 
responsible for a special part. One group prepared the invi- 
tations, one the decorating, and the third the refreshments. 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRIS ~~ 215 


FEvaluation.—Through this project the boys and girls 
became familiar with the needs of India. Their sympathies 
were aroused for its unfortunate people. In making the 
gifts for India they discovered that, although children, they 
could be a real help to Christ in his work. The altruistic 
desires aroused in these boys and girls had also materialized 
in definite Christian service. 


ISee DLO AL ED STUD VARRO EG rs 


The neighborhood near our church is 95 per cent 
Catholic and draws for its Protestant constituency on a 
large area reaching from Fourteenth Street on the north 
to Chambers Street on the south. The class concerned 
consisted of nine girls eleven and twelve years old, attending 
grades from V A-VII B in public schools. Because of the size 
of the Sunday school, close grading was not possible. The 
nationalities of the nine girls were as follows: (1) Ameri- 
can; (2) Scotch-American; (3) Swedish; (4) German; (5) 
German-Italian; (6) and (7) Italian; (8) Roumanian; (0) 
Armenian. All of these factors tended to divide the group. 
Their only common tie was their desire to be connected with 
a Protestant church. 

The superintendent talked with the teacher about this 
mixed group and suggested the need of better co-operation 
and understanding among them. The girls had been 
studying hero stories, mostly missionary heroes, the preced- 
ing year, and the superintendent thought a good course in 
the life of Jesus would meet their present needs. However, 
since both the superintendent and the teacher were inter- 
ested in trying out some experiments and in giving the girls 
a chance to select their own course, the teacher asked the 

Reported by Elsa Lotz, director of religious education, 


Spring Street Presbyterian Church and Neighborhood House, 
New York City. 


216 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


girls what they would like to do for the year. The first 
Sunday the girls did not have any ideas, although all insisted 
that they did not want to study out of a book. Their 
teacher suggested that they might like to learn about the 
life of Jesus or how the Bible came to be written, but they 
preferred to hear stories. She had one ready, selected from 
Living Together, one of the “Beacon Texts.” For several 
weeks, while the class was making up its mind, the teacher 
used stories describing instances of living together all over 
the world. . 

One Sunday early in October one girl said she would 
like to know why we have Hallowe’en. Immediately the 
class was interested. The girls decided they would like to 
talk about that. The teacher planned to meet them during 
a week-day afternoon and together they read Hallowe’en 
stories and made plans for a Hallowe’en party. In the 
course of the reading they discovered All-Saints’ Day, and 
the history of that day was the basis of their Sunday dis- 
cussions. By the time the end of October came, the group 
was much more friendly, had decided to have a club meeting 
each week, and had planned a program which should include 
a study of Armistice Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New 
Year’s, and Epiphany. 

In January, just before Epiphany, one of the girls 
fainted in class. Upon investigation the teacher found that 
the child was undernourished, that her home was very poor, 
and her parents habitually drunk. A visit to a doctor dis- 
closed some stomach trouble which necessitated dieting. 
The question of health was naturally raised in the Sunday- 
school class. At first the girls thought that this theme was 
not religious enough to discuss on Sundays, but on talking 
it over they decided that it was. 

After three weeks of health program, just about the 
time of a new school semester, a few of the girls brought up 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS oy 


the subject of what they would do in Sunday school during 
the new term. Almost with one accord they said, ‘‘Why 
can’t we study out of a book?” “Do you want to?” asked 
the leader. “Yes, and could it be the life of Jesus?” They 
had decided that so much had been said in their discussion of 
the church year concerning the principles of Jesus that they 
wanted to know all about him and to read and study it 
themselves. 

After examining various courses they selected the one in 
the Junior Bible published by Scribners. For the rest of 
that year and all the next (February, 1921—June, 1922) the 
class continued their study. The second year they had 
another teacher. She appreciated the fact that this was a 
real project on the part of the girls and heartily entered into 
it with them. 

It was very gratifying to the superintendent and pastor 
to have these girls raise questions concerning church mem- 
bership. In the spring of 1922 five of them united with the 
church. At present seven of this group are still in the 
neighborhood attending Sunday school regularly, and five 
are active members of the church. They are now studying 
How We Got Our Bible. 


19. A BOOK OF MISSIONARY HEROES! 


The teachers of a week-day class of fifth- and sixth- 
grade boys and girls were confronted with the problem of 
making an imposed course more interesting and educative 
for the scholars. They were expected to cover a certain 
amount of ground in the lives of missionary heroes and 
memory work. In spite of their limitations, they decided 
to work for the accomplishment of certain definite goals, 
in the matter of the practical application of lessons to the 


t Reported by the author. 


218 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


daily problems of the boys and girls, to develop their ability 
to pray and lead a worship service, and to start the formation 
of a habit of helping others. 

They began their work by having the class divided into 
seven groups, each of which was to be a committee primarily 
responsible for the workin connection with one country. 
There were committees on Japan, the South Sea Islands, 
India, China, Africa, the Near East, and America. Usually 
three sessions were devoted to each country. The first 
session was devoted to getting acquainted with the country, 
by such means as stereopticon pictures, telling stories, 
playing the games of the country, or studying pictures from 
magazines and newspapers. For example, the approach in 
the case of the first country, Japan, was made by discussing 
the great earthquake and showing pictures. The other two 
sessions were given over to telling a story of some hero con- 
nected with the missionary work in the country. Following 
the stories came a discussion, with particular reference to 
certain problems discovered in the lives of the pupils. The 
Christian treatment of foreign children in their school and 
play life came up for discussion frequently. 

Following the discussion, the pupils re-wrote the story 
in their own notebooks. From their examination of them the 
teachers selected the four best (two boys’ and two girls’) from 
which the class by vote chose a boy’s and a girl’s account to 
go into the large scrapbook. This book, which was sug- 
gested at the beginning of the course, was to contain in 
addition to these stories of heroism, a map of each country 
and the best pictures the class could gather illustrating the 
life of the people. Particular attention was paid to pictures 
with a religious significance. On the first page was a picture 
of children looking at a globe and the inscription, ‘“‘A Trip 
Around the World.’ Each committee had one section of 
the book to make. The suggestion that the book when 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS 219 


completed should be given to children in a hospital met with 
a hearty response from the pupils. At the last session a 
friend of a hospital for tubercular children told of the work 
being done and through her the book was sent with a letter 
to these children. 

At first the worship programs were conducted by the 
teachers. The prayers were centered about the particular 
country being studied. Later on, the children were asked 
to write sentence prayers and these were embodied in a group 
prayer and read as a prayer service, or each child repeated 
his sentence prayer as his turn came. ‘Toward the close of 
the year’s work the class was divided into three groups. 
Each group in turn took over the devotional service entirely, 
planning and carrying it through. In this connection it is 
interesting to note that a group of boys, who thought they 
were going to be deprived of leading the service, insisted 
upon being allowed the privilege, which of course was 
granted. | 

The values of this procedure for the children included 
a wider knowledge of the work of Christian missions and the 
heroic sacrifices which have been made in the mission fields, 
closer contacts with the children of other lands, a definite 
piece of service for children near at hand, learning to worship 
with definite needs in mind, and working together as a 
co-operative group to produce a common piece of work. 


20. A THANKSGIVING SERVICE FOR 
OLD PEOPLE! 


The class secretary’s record of our junior group contains 
the following note: “On Sunday, November 26th, we went 


t Adapted by permission from an article by Alma N. Schilling 
in the Pilgrim Elementary Teacher for November, 1923. The 
Pilgrim Press. — 


220 Tue PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


to the Old People’s Home to hold a Thanksgiving service 
for them. We found that they were quite interested in the 
children and in the singing. Quite a few joined in the 
singing, and others would have liked to probably. We dis- 
tributed lolly-pops, and talked with the old people. We 
saw the Blind Lady.” 

This service project grew out of the fact that the mothers 
of these children were to have a bazaar at the Home and the 
children also wanted to have a table and make things to sell. 
The teacher recognized this desire to be of service, but 
thought that it could be expressed on a higher level. By 
recalling that they had just been singing a hymn of thanks, 
she suggested the more personal form of helpfulness. 

The juniors eagerly fell in with the idea and prepared a 
program, which, when finally approved by the group, 
included: 


Introduction: ‘‘Why we have come to the Home”—F. 

Hymn: ‘‘Come, ye thankful people, come.” 

Prayer of Thanksgiving—written by C. 

Our Hymn of Thanks: ‘We gather together to seek the Lord’s 
blessing.” 

Psalm roo—memorized for use on this occasion. 

“The Story of the First Thanksgiving’’—a poem written by C. F. 

Hymn: “America the Beautiful.” 


To prepare for the effective presentation of this program, 
two Saturday mornings and a Sunday were used. Self- 
imposed drill in music, the writing of a prayer, the planning 
of a story which later appeared in poetic form, dressing 
lolly-pops as favors, printing and decorating Thanksgiving 
cards with verses on them, making peanut candy, and secur- 
ing baskets of fruit were sub-projects involved. Both 
Saturdays the children had lunch at the church in order to 
get more time to work. They put “‘the room all in order 


PROJECTS OF JUNIOR Boys AND GIRLS 225 


first, to be ready for work.”’ Then they went at their tasks 
joyously. When they had finished on the second Saturday, 
they cautioned the janitor to “lock the doors carefully, 
because we have all our candy and fruit in there,” and then 
straightened up the room. ‘‘Get things all ready now, 
because there will be a scramble on Sunday morning if we are 
not ready. We must all be on time tomorrow.” 

The trip to the Home was carried out on Sunday morn- 
ing. All the experiences were up to expectations. Then 
the children returned to take part with their parents in the 
Thanksgiving service at the church hour. 

- The values of this enterprise of friendliness are revealed 
by a few of the many comments by the children, as they 
prepared and carried it through. ‘To the query of one child, 
who had missed the session when the plan had been initiated 
and wanted to know its purpose, the others responded: 

“To sing, and have a Thanksgiving service for the old 
people who cannot come to church.” 

“To share our Thanksgiving with them.” 

“To take them things which we made to make them 
happy and cheer them up.” 

And again this exhortation: ‘‘Count the lolly-pops. 
We want to have enough for them all. Don’t want to miss 
any of the old people. It would be terrible if we had 70 or 
69 and there are 72 old people. ‘Terrible to be short two or 
three. Can’t we have a few extras to be sure to have 
enough ?” 

The need for Bible drill was recognized. ‘‘We ought to 
know that Psalm better to repeat it without the book.” So 
two of them took Bibles and drilled. ‘We do not like the 
sound of that word ‘Jehovah.’ Why is it in the Revised 
Bible?” The group decided to use “Lord.” ; 

At the lunch hour it was found that but one girl could 
say grace. The discussion led to an awakening interest in 


222 THE PrRojEcT PRINCIPLE 


this subject and the placing on the blackboard of sugges- 
tions made by the children of things they were thankful for. 

- Discussion in class following the trip centered about the 
fact of worship through service, finding and discovering ap- 
propriate Bible passages and the making of a prayer of 
thanks, in order that, as one junior said, each one might 
‘‘use it on Thanksgiving day at home.” 


SECTION IV 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 
21. A PROJECT IN MISSION STUDY: 


This project was carried out by a seventh-grade group 
of boys and girls averaging twelve years of age. Through 
the Every-Member Canvass they were contributors to the 
fund annually raised to meet the church budget, which 
included home expenses and the apportionment for the 
denominational missionary societies. In talking about their 
contributions toward meeting this budget the class dis- 
covered its ignorance of the manner in which some of these 
societies used the money assigned to them. It was decided 
that this ignorance made intelligent giving impossible; and 
the members of the class agreed to request the desired 
information from their parents and report the following 
Sunday. Somewhat to their surprise very little informa- 
tion was obtained by the children in their homes; so they 
voted to undertake for themselves the study of the work of 
the American Missionary Association and present to their 
parents, and any others of the church fellowship who might 
desire it, the results of their study. 

The general plan of procedure as outlined by the class 
included, first, a brief survey of the origin and history of the 
Society; followed by a study of the work now being carried 
on among the racial groups to which the Society ministers. 

The source material used by the class was varied in 
character. Denominational literature, current publications 


™ Reported by Frank E. Butler, minister of religious educa- 
tion, Central Congregational Church, Providence, Rhode Island, 


223 


224 THE PRojJECT PRINCIPLE 


of different kinds, direct correspondence with teachers and 
pupils in several of the schools conducted by the Society, all 
contributed factual and illustrative material. ‘The neces- 
sary correspondence for its collection was carried on wholly 
by members of the class, assignments being made by the 
class to individuals so that all the group participated. 

The material thus gathered was used in the preparation 
of short papers and the making of charts and posters to 
illustrate the papers. ‘Two models were also assembled by 
the class: an Indian village with its tepees, canoes, and 
patch of corn; and the cabin of a mountaineer with its out- 
buildings and rail fence. 

On completing its study the class was invited by the 
minister to conduct one of the midweek services of the 
church as a missionary meeting. In response to this invita- 
tion the class prepared a program which included the whole 
service. Facts were presented in brief papers and dialogues, 
charts and posters were explained, and a statement made by 
one of the boys of the influence of the study upon the class, 
stressing particularly the changed attitude toward the racial 
groups served by the American Missionary Association. 

The project was completed by a critical review on the 
part of the class of the methods used in carrying it out, which 
resulted in several constructive suggestions, such as ‘‘ Mak- 
ing more of the correspondence with the children,” ‘‘Shorten- 
ing the time of a project to three or four months,” “‘ Putting 
posters and charts into usable size, as soon as the final form 
was decided upon.” 

The incidental contributions of the project were twofold: 
for the class, an increased interest and enthusiasm of 
the members in class work, increased ability to work 
co-operatively and improvement in co-operative methods, 
a Christmas gift for one of the A.M.A. schools, a new valua- 
tion of the worth of the church school and its place in the 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 225 


life of the church; for the school, an awakening interest in 
the project way of studying and working, and a growing 
desire for its use. 


22. CHOOSING A PROFESSION: 


How the project arose-—The class consisted of seven 
boys enrolled in the sixth grade of the Union School of 
Religion and was taught by the writer. Most of them were 
above the average in mental ability. Their social experience 
was accelerated in that they had much wider contacts than 
other boys of their age. The teacher was well acquainted 
with the homes from which these boys came. Each father 
was a professional leader of considerable ability. While 
boys of this age do not have a vocational interest of marked 
degree, it is of all the more interest to note the necessity of 
studying very carefully the background of our pupils. 

The text used dealt primarily with biography. Con- 
stant study of the lives of men and women, even though 
carefully motivated, proved monotonous after the first 
semester. At one of the weekly get-togethers, the teacher 
started a discussion on vocations. ‘To his surprise the boys 
gave intelligent reasons for their interest in some particular 
profession. A few questions were assigned each boy relative 
to his chosen profession as the basis for the next lesson. 
On the next Sunday the usual textbook was not used. Each 
boy took particular delight in making known to the other 
boys the various reasons that he had collected in favor of 
his choice. 

Although the project was not first suggested by the 
boys, nevertheless their interests, conditioned by their 
opportunities for understanding the various vocations and 

t Reported by E. E. Emme, superintendent of religious 


education, Wisconsin Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, 
Appleton, Wisconsin. 


226 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


their boyish whims, resulted in making the question of 
vocations their study for the second semester. The boys 
decided to call the study “‘What We Boys Will Do.” 

Content of the project—Each boy spent considerable 
time with the teacher. Suggestions and assignments were 
given to enlarge upon and guide the boys’ own interests and 
knowledge of the problem. This was to avoid a danger in 
all projects, that personal interests often lead pupils too far 
afield. Each boy spent from February to June on this 
assignment: (1) the advantages, (2) the disadvantages, (3) 
opportunity for growth, and (4) opportunity for Christian 
service in my choice of a profession. ‘The professions chosen 
by the boys, with some suggestion and direction by the 
teacher, were: lawyer, doctor, farmer, minister, electrical 
engineer, mechanical engineer, medical missionary. 

Each boy made a notebook. Pictures, clippings, and 
cartoons were used to illustrate his study. The boys spent 
many hours in looking through the various notebooks. 
During the semester each boy took charge of the class for 
two Sundays, offered prayer, and in his own boyish way 
tried to make clear to the other boys why his choice of a 
profession was the best choice for a man who wanted to be 
a Christian. Some of the most lively discussions centered 
on the question ‘‘Is that vocation Christian ?” 

Estimate of its worth.—The class worked on this project 
some six years ago. During the past year, the writer 
learned through the present teacher of these boys, who are 
now high-school Seniors, that most of them had a vital 
interest in the profession he had chosen some time ago. 
Even though they changed their mind on this point, which 
one would naturally expect as they continued their educa- 
tion, their general knowledge of the various vocations was 
much broader and more intelligent than had the teacher 
continued. the study of biography, trying to use a book built 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 227 


upon the ‘‘heroic in youth” as was the pedagogical claim for 
the text. One seems justified in maintaining, however, that 
the basic interests of these boys combined with life-conduct- 
situations with which they came in contact, made it possible 
for their teacher to discover with them a project which had 
immediate as well as future significance in helping these boys 
to understand, appreciate, and participate in vital Christian 
living. 


23. WHEN THE “ROCKABILTS” PUT IT ACROSS: 


The missionary education director threw down half a 
dozen leaflets in despair. ‘‘Now what sort of a program 
about church-building can we get out of those ?” she sighed. 
‘“‘No connection between them. No one point. No action. 
Nothing it makes you want to do for anybody. Those boys 
would mever .... !” 

She sighed again, because that youngest class of inter- 
mediate boys was certainly the right one to ask to put over 
this month’s program. They were just on the edge of 
leadership, it was time they had the chance to do something 
definite for their church school. But could anyone imagine 
them getting up and tamely reciting this medley of statistics 
about lending money to build homes for poor churches and 
ministers ? 

Suddenly a wild, daring idea took her off her feet. The 
thing was beyond her, but why not turn it over to the boys? 
Certainly they would blow that material sky-high out of 
its present form, but their own arrangement might come 
down orderly patterned as a rocket. At least what they 
did would be their own; what was their own would be good 
for them whether it helped the school or not; and the 
chances were that they could put it across. Rapidly she 


* Reported by Mary Jenness, director of missionary educa- 
tion, First Congregational Church, Dover, New Hampshire. 


228 THE PRojECT PRINCIPLE 


culled out the three leaflets that came nearest to a boy’s 
point of view and studied them a moment. Then with 
dawning hope she reached for the telephone. 

A week later four high-school Freshmen, mightily 
curious, rubbed elbows about a table with the director. One 
of the mothers had offered her living-room with the promise 
of popcorn when she returned from an evening meeting. 
Her son brought out paper and pencils. ‘‘Say, fellers, we’re 
going to write a play!” 

“What about?” And the director plunged into her 
stories. The challenge of interesting four Jive boys had 
brought those statistics to life, for in five minutes the boys 
were all asking questions at once. In ten minutes more 
they were bursting with information and it was the director’s 
turn. ‘‘Now how many characters do we need ?” she asked. 
‘“‘And where is the scene? And how do you want the 
audience to feel when you get through with them ?” 

The answers came together. ‘“‘Four, ’cause they’s four 
of us.” “One can take churches, and one parsonages, and 
one can sort of tell stories to fill in.” ‘And let’s take some 
rich guy that doesn’t know anything about it, so we can 
nail him right there.” ‘‘Sure, that’s it, some Rocker- 
rocker-bilt!” Fairly stuttering with excitement, one of the 
boys stumbled and fell squarely on the name by which this 
quartet was to become famous. 

In no time the other characters were picked and named 
by their hilarious owners: Mr. Parish Carpenter, Colonel 
Parsons House, Mr. U. Needa Chapel, all salesmen for the 
church-loan idea, and all camping on the trail of Mr. Vander- 
feller Rockabilt. The shrewd boy who chose the last part 
slipped into it at once with the question, ‘‘ Well, what’s this 
you want me to give for, anyhow ?” 

Down went a string of questions and answers almost 
verbatim for half an hour. Over the popcorn it was decided 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 229 


that each man should bring what properties he needed for 
the rehearsal next day. 

To shorten the story, three live boys went up on their 
church-school stage the following Sunday to put their whole 
souls into convincing a mate, equally clever and determined 
not to be convinced. ‘The result was that sparks of enthusi- 
asm flew right out into the astonished audience. The first 
spark effectually woke the listeners up! The next so fetched 
the dignified superintendent out of himself that he actually 
clapped at the end—and the school followed him. The 
third brought out the largest offering that the school had 
ever given for a service outside their local and church 
interests. 

Other sparks continued to travel. By their light the 
“‘Rockabilts” became known as members of a class that 
would “start things.”” They volunteered to fold calendars, 
to act as vesper ushers. They joined the church. Pres- 
ently they officered the young people’s society into a new 
glow of life. With their high standards to reach, other 
classes began to ask to make their own programs, and 
willingly to handle other pieces of service for their church 
school and the wider interests of their denomination. 

Incidentally the director learned something that 
changed her whole method of approach: Trust the boys 
and girls. 

On the surface, four boys had written a clever dialogue. 
Underneath, something significant had happened. They 
had tapped a great law of living: that to whatever one has 
given of himself, he loves and furthers because he finds 
himself in it. As one of the Rockabilts said: 

“T never had much money to give, I never thought 
anything I did mattered very much. ‘That was the first 
time I ever did something for missions where I knew I 
counted.” 


230 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


24. THE WORKING OF A TRAIL 
RANGERS’ GROUP! 


Our village is located on the main line of the Canadian 
Pacific Railroad, 50 miles from Winnipeg in the midst of 
a rural, Fnglish-speaking population. There are two 
churches, Methodist and Presbyterian, whose resident 
ministers care for charges reaching in opposite directions. 
The only opportunities for week-day activities in connec- 
tion with the churches were a mission band for the small 
boys and girls and a mission circle for girls. 

The situation led to the writer’s proposal to the leaders 
of the neighbor church that work be undertaken for the 
boys of junior age along the lines of the C.S.E.T. program. 
This first suggestion met with the reply that there were 
not enough boys to form a group of Trail Rangers. Finally 
a public meeting was called at which there were in attend- 
ance among others a seat or two full of boys, who had come 
out like the bears in the story ‘“‘to see what they could see.”’ 

As a result of a free and frank discussion the “‘High 
Bluff Trail Rangers” group was formed for boys between 
twelve and fifteen years of age. The writer’s son was put 
in charge as mentor with the commission, ‘‘There’s your 
job. Look after them. We are too old.” He was a lad of 
seventeen who had had two terms at a summer training camp 
for boys’ leaders. Boys came to join the new organization 
from every direction, and a busy program of activities was 
drawn up. 

Weekly meetings were held in a private home or in the 
basement of one of the churches. The program carried out 
provided for every phase of a boy’s life. Their social 
program included the initiation of members, songs, stunts, 


™ Reported by R. O. Armstrong, pastor, Methodist Church, 
High Bluff, Manitoba, Canada. 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 231 


suppers, a parents’ night, and the giving of a public concert 
of a popular nature. Numerous athletic activities were 
carried on, as skating parties, baseball, group games, indoor 
meets, a paper chase, and an overnight camping hike. A 
returned soldier who had been a drill sergeant trained them 
in physical drills and pyramid work. 

During the year a variety of talks were given, some by 
special speakers and some by the boys themselves on such 
subjects as “Health,” ‘The Value of a Thorough School 
Training,’ “‘Current Events,” “How Our Municipality Is 
Governed,” ‘“‘ What the School (the Community) Expects of 
the Trail Rangers,” ‘How We Can Help Make Our Homes 
Better and Happier Places to Live in,” etc. Debates were 
also held. In addition to the regular Sunday-school work, 
midweek talks were given by the ministers on character- 
building themes, one meeting consisted in talks by the boys 
themselves on “Great Mission Heroes,” and a watch-night 
service was held. In connection with these activities and 
many others, the C.S.E.T. charting and testing were 
carried on. 

The boys responded to the leadership given and the idle, 
aimless days seemed to be over. The new program 
acted like magic and its fame was heralded abroad. Their 
mentor became in turn president of the District Boys’ 
Council, a member of the first Older Boys’ Parliament, and 
then the first Premier of that Parliament. The following 
season for a time there were two groups of Trail Rangers and 
one group of Tuxis Boys (fifteen to eighteen years of age). 

For reasons which follow, the boys of Trail Ranger age 
have been reorganized as a Boys’ Club. The writer finds 
that their earlier training has been a great benefit to them. 
They know how to conduct business and carry on their 
various activities with ease, so that it is a pleasure to work 
with them. 


Deke THe Project PRINCIPLE 


The changes in organization have been due to several 
causes. ‘The mentor, attending his first year of college in a 
small nearby city, could not be with them regularly. Even 
when he had been doing his best work in leading their mid- 
week activities, the fact that the boys attended different 
churches and Sunday schools made it impossible for him 
wholly to bridge the chasm between the boy’s everyday 
life and his connection with the church. When the boys 
in a group are connected with one church it is much easier to 
secure church allegiance. This difficulty was accentuated 
by a lack of sympathy on the part of many adults. It was 
exhibited in the blocking of a Father and Son Banquet on 
the ground that the boys were being pampered too much. 
The boys felt that they were not really wanted in the 
church—until they became adults. Again it seemed that 
the elaborate C.S.E.T. program was featured rather than 
the boy. The work had a tendency to become mechanical. 
Instead of using the entire program, we are borrowing 
suggestions from it, for we feel we should be free to select 
from any source so long as we save the boy. 

The entire experience, however, has been very much 
worth while. There has been a great transformation in 
the lives of our boys. For the most part, the parents are 
well pleased with the results. With the remedying of the 
defects above mentioned, we expect to recognize the boy 
spirit to the fullest and tie it up to the life of the church. 


25. MARBLES FOR THE MISSION FIELD: 


In ro14—-15 Central Church School conducted “A Mis- 
sionary Exhibit,” each Sunday for a greater part of the 
church-school year, in which small groups were taught 


™ Reported by Annie M. Hanchett, director of religious 
education, Central Church, Worcester, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 222 


each week by dramatic presentations the home conditions, 
manner of life, dress, religious customs, etc., of India (chosen 
because the church supports a missionary in that country). 
Following close upon the visit of each group from the 
church school, a list of articles useful in our missionary 
pastor’s work was presented. The group chose from this 
list the article which they wished to make or purchase, and 
immediately set about securing them. At the close of the 
year a brief pageant, suggesting the India of the future 
won for Christ, culminated in the presentation of all the 
gifts to the Bible woman (of the dramatization) for forward- 
ing to India. 

Each year since, the gift project has been carried out 
during the latter part of the church-school year, the gifts 
being brought on Children’s Sunday, and more lately on 
Church-School Day, their consecration being a part of the 
service. They are then started on their long journey, and 
are used by the missionary pastor and his wife for the Christ- 
mas celebrations in ‘Our Parish in India.” 

One year the letters received from the missionary pastor 
and his wife telling of the distribution of the gifts had very 
interesting descriptions of the pleasure with which the Indian 
boys received gifts of marbles from the Christmas box, 
together with snapshots of the boys playing marbles. 

When the time for the preparation of the gifts arrived 
that year and the lists were given out, one class of inter- 
mediate boys decided to send marbles—setting a goal of 
several thousand which they hoped to reach. The marbles 
were brought in Sunday by Sunday and turned over to the 
director of the department, until those in charge of the box 
began to wonder how the freight charges were to be met. 

We have a suggestion here of what it means when an 
opportunity is given to the boys in our church school to 
contribute for missions something in which they have a real 


234 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


interest, and which they feel brings them into personal touch 
with real boys on the mission field. 


26. A PROJECT APPROACH TO THE 
LIFE OF CHRIST? 


The following course was used with a class of seventh- 
grade children in Gary. It had been planned that the 
children take up the study of Christ’s life, but it was con- 
sidered preferable that the request for such a study come 
from the children themselves. 

At the opening session of the class it was suggested 
that for a few moments the class think of the different types 
of work one might enter later in life; then, what character- 
istics one must have to be successful in any of these lines. 

Interest was aroused at once. The most popular form 
of occupation seemed to be something in the business world, 
so that was taken as the theme for the day. The children 
decided that any business man must know his stock, must 
be trustworthy, obliging, careful of the interest of others, etc. 

As an assignment for the next day the suggestion was 
made that the children bring to class names of persons whom 
they especially admired. As the names were presented, an 
attempt was made to find what it was that had made each 
person noteworthy. 

At the end of the hour it was suggested that we choose 
one of these characteristics, and that the next day each 
member of the class be able to refer to someone noted for 
this same characteristic. Each day after this the children 
decided what the new topic should be. 

The illustrations presented were taken from every 
source; from history, from the Bible, both the Old and New 


Reported by Sadie E. Wood, instructor in Community- 
Church Schools, Gary, Indiana. 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 205 


Testament, from fiction; and sometimes original stories 
were written to illustrate the point. 

Among the illustrations brought in were David, Saul, 
Jonathan, Joseph, Paul, Esther, Ruth, Job, Abraham, 
Lincoln, Washington, Columbus, Sam Higginbotham, Mary 
Slessor, Livingstone, and many times characters from 
fiction which they had studied in the public school, or those 
from stories told to them during the preceding year of 
church school. 

As the various qualities were studied the children chose 
songs which they thought were suitable to the topic such as 
‘Dare to Be Brave,” ‘‘I Would Be True,” etc. 

Each day the question was presented as to whether 
the persons mentioned had more than one of these note- 
worthy characteristics, gradually bringing out the concep- 
tion that the truly great person must have many great 
qualities. ) 

Then came the inquiry, ‘‘Did any person ever possess 
all of these attributes?’? Immediately Christ’s name was 
mentioned, and the request was made by the class that they 
might again take up the characteristics one by one, which 
they had studied before, and each child be allowed to refer 
to some incident in the life of Christ which would prove 
whether he did possess that trait. 

Though not providing a chronological account of 
Christ’s life, this course presented to the children an ideal 
which many expressed a desire to attain. 

As the year progressed such songs were chosen as 
‘“Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life,” and at the end 
of the year the song voted upon as the favorite was 


Just as I am, thine own to be, 
Friend of the young who lovest me, 
To consecrate myself to thee, 

O Jesus Christ, I come. 


236 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


I would live ever in the light, 

I would work ever for the right, 

I would serve thee with all my might, 
Therefore to thee I come. 


Just as I am, young, strong and free, 
To be the best that I can be, 

For truth and righteousness and thee, 
Lord of my life, I come. 


When questioned as to why this was the favorite, some 
of the replies were, “Because I like the words,” ‘‘ Because 
it tells what I want to be like,” and one expressed it in this 
way, “‘He spent all his life serving others, so that is what I 
want to do.” 

Some may say, “They are only children, it will not last,” 
but at least the ideal is there and with that who can say 
what end may be attained ? 


27. A PROJECT OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: 


There were sixteen boys and girls between the ages of 
twelve and sixteen who were natural candidates for member- 
ship. It is the custom for the whole church school to unite 
with the congregation in morning worship, leaving at the 
close of the offering ritual. The preacher gives a simple 
exposition of the scripture lesson, which is practically, 
though not avowedly, a talk to the school. 

Seven weeks before the Sunday set for the reception of 
members the preacher announced that the time of year was 
coming when the church was accustomed to invite its boys 
and girls to come into its full membership, and that his talks 
and his sermons for the next six weeks would be on the 


* Reported by Theodore Gerald Soares, preacher at the Hyde 
Park Congregational Church, Chicago, Illinois. 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 237 


meaning of the church. It was suggested that the matter 
should be talked over in the homes. 

The church was defined in the six weeks as a company of 
people organized to help one another: 


1. To live a life of fair play and to endeavor to secure justice 
for all people. 

2. To live kindly and to seek to spread the spirit of love. 

3. To follow the Way of Jesus, who lived rightly with God 
and with men. 

4. To have confidence in God that he would give help in every 
enterprise. 

5. To realize through worship that God is near us and. is 
helping us. 

6. To share with other people, even all over the world, 
Christian faith, hope, and love. 


The last week the boys and girls were invited by the offi- 
cers of the church to dine with them. The pastor, who is 
the other minister of the church, visited the homes and 
talked with the young people and with their parents about 
the step which was to be taken. It was quite understood 
that it was a church-membership dinner. 

The dinner itself was a happy fellowship, younger and 
older alternating at the table, and the talk being of a general 
nature. At the conclusion the pastor called upon the officers 
to speak about the significance of the church, of its various 
activities, and of its influence in their own lives. The young 
people were then told that the church, through its officers, 
invited them to enter into full membership. One after 
another eleven of them said they would be glad to do so; 
three said they would like to consult further with their 
parents (these joined the others before Sunday); two made 
no response, and felt no embarrassment, as it had been 
definitely stated that there was no desire to hurry anyone’s 
decision. 


238 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


The Standing Committee, then and there, took formal 
action admitting the young people to the church. It was 
announced that the ceremony of reception would be on the 
following Sunday. 

The reception was in the form of a dramatic presentation 
of “Youth and the Church.” The novitiates led the regular 
processional of the church school, the girls in white dresses, 
the boys in black robes. A white-robed figure came to the 
platform representing the Church Universal and brought 
her message to the youth. Then appeared in Puritan garb, 
the spirit of Congregationalism, bringing the special 
message of the denomination to the youth. While a 
hymn was sung, there came to the platform the representa- 
tives of each of the boards and of the various activities of 
the church. Each of these gave an invitation to the youth. 
Then singing ‘‘Onward Christian Soldiers” the young 
candidates came forward. They were asked to state their 
faith. Six representatives pledged their loyalty to the 
church, each taking one of the elements that had been pre- 
sented in the sermons. Finally all spoke a common 
loyalty. 

The adults who were uniting by letter joined the com- 
pany upon the platform; all received the hand of fellow- 
ship, and all joined hands singing “‘Blest Be the Tie.” 

To the music of the organ all those massed upon the 
platform went to seats prepared for them, after which the 
Lord’s Supper was celebrated. 

The values seemed to be: (1) The young people under- 
stood the nature of their forward steps in the church life 
and work. (2) They felt the significance of the invitation 
to come into full church membership. (3) There was a 
‘deep sense of expressing a loyalty without any unhealthy 
or morbid emotionalism. (4) The dramatization made the 
experience highly impressive both to the young people and 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 239 


to the congregation. (5) The parents of the candidates 
testified to the effectiveness of the procedure. (6) After a 
year the young people were in active attendance on the 
church worship. 


28. ENLISTING OTHER DEPARTMENTS 
IN A MISSIONARY PROJECT? 


In a certain church school the schedule of missionary 
and benevolence work called for the study of gifts to foreign 
missions during the last quarter of the year. The superin- 
tendent of the intermediate department inquired a few 
weeks before the opening of this quarter whether any mem- 
bers of the school had suggestions that they would like to 
make regarding a specific project that might be chosen for 
their study of their gifts. As no suggestions were forth- 
coming, the superintendent read letters from various board 
secretaries and others suggesting needs that might be met. 
Each of these was assigned to a different class, which was 
asked to study up on them and report. As a result the 
department voted to make their gifts for the work of a 
hospital in India. The next step was to find out just what 
this hospital needed, and what sort of work it was doing. 
Letters were written to the secretary of the board under 
which the work was being carried on and when the reply 
came the department found that the needs were decidedly in 
excess of what they could reasonably hope to accomplish. 
The matter was discussed at length. Should they drop the 
whole thing and try something simpler, or should they take 
a share in this enterprise and do what they could? In the 
course of the discussion somebody said: ‘‘I wonder if we 


* Reported by Herbert W. Gates, secretary of missionary 
education, Congregational Education Society, Boston, Mass- 
achusetts. 


240 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


could get the senior department to help in this.” That idea 
was thought to be worth following up. 

Two members of the department went before the seniors 
and explained the project they had on hand and asked the 
seniors if they would like to share in it. They came back 
greatly pleased with an affirmative answer. That was 
enough to start the ball rolling more rapidly. In turn the 
junior and primary departments were visited also by the 
intermediate pupils and before they got through some 
member of the department had gone through every depart- 
ment in the church school and had lined up the entire 
membership for this piece of work. It may be said in passing 
that this process had been part of the original plan in the 
minds of the leaders. 

The details of this project are much the same as others 
that have been reported.t. Information was secured, posters 
and programs were prepared, ways and means of raising 
money were devised, and the task was accomplished. But 
the significant characteristic of this project was that there 
was not only the satisfaction of accomplishing a needed 
piece of service for a worthy object, but the degree to which 
these boys and girls had enlisted their fellow-members in 
the school in the common task. The effect of this as shown 
in their new attitude toward the school and their part in its 
life was very marked. 


29. CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP IN THE EVERY- 
DAY LIFE OF BOYS AND GIRLS? 


The following project was worked out in an eighth- 
grade class in the Community-Church School in Gary, 
Indiana. The ultimate goal for the boys and girls was 


t See Descriptions Nos. 36 and 77, pp. 255 and 349. 


2 Reported by Marie Leberman, instructor in Community- 
Church Schools, Gary, Indiana. 


Projects OF INTERMEDIATES 241 


training in Christian citizenship—that goal to be reached 
through practice in right living in their every relationship 
now. That the course might evolve from the children 
themselves, it was begun by a discussion of the industrial 
conditions which affected them vitally, for the parents of 
many were out of work at that time. By various and 
gradual steps they reached the conclusion that the injustices 
and mistakes in industry, society, and politics were due to 
selfishness and lack of love and sympathetic understanding, 
and that they could be righted only as Christian principles 
were applied. 

The question then arose, ‘‘Can boys and girls help in 
bringing this about ?” They concluded that the only thing 
they could do now and the only way they could learn to 
apply these principles when they grew up was by practicing 
them every day at home, at school, on the playground, and 
in the community. 

Rather early in the term, the pupils decided that they 
could work together better if they were organized. To this 
end the class appointed a committee to draw up a constitu- 
tion; the class also formulated some rules of conduct and 
suggested a method for keeping the rules. The class decided 
whether a rule had been broken, but if one rule was broken 
three times, or three rules once each, the offender met with 
the executive committee to talk the matter over. One such 
session was enough to remedy the trouble. 

The class decided to consider this group as a little 
“Kingdom of God,” their aim being to try to apply the 
principles for right living which Jesus gave. These ques- 
tions naturally followed: What are the laws of a Christian 
kingdom? What will be expected of us as members of this 
kingdom? The answers to these questions they decided 
could be found in Christ’s life and teachings and in the lives 
of Christian men and women. 


242 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


To make the work concrete and immediately helpful, 
they brought up their home and school problems and diffi- 
culties for discussion to see if the laws for this Christian 
kingdom could help solve them. Some of these questions 
pertained to friendships, smoking, drinking, movies,’ dan- 
cing, boxing, card-playing, Sabbath observance. The type 
of some of these-questions could be traced to special evangel- 
istic meetings which were being held at one of the churches. 

Below is a brief outline of the course as it developed in 
response to the questions and problems of the pupils. 


I. A Christian kingdom: What are some of the fundamental 
laws ? 


1. Love, brotherhood, justice, Golden Rule, forgiveness 
2. Subject-matter used 

Teachings of John the Baptist 

Christ’s teaching of the Kingdom 

The story of Samuel Jones (‘‘Brotherhood Stories”’) 

The parable of the Talents 

The Good Samaritan 

The story of John Potenza (“‘Brotherhood Stories’’) 
3. Discussion of classroom problems 
4. Making a list of rules of conduct 


II. Whom can we call Christian citizens ? 
1. The parable of the Sower 
2. Stories were written illustrating each class 
III. Has each one an opportunity to be a member of Christ’s 
Kingdom ? 


1. ‘Lo, I stand at the door and knock.’? How do we know 
that Christ is standing at the door of our hearts and 
knocking ? 

2. How can we take Christ into our lives? 

3. What opportunities have we to learn of Christ ? 


IV. Making use of opportunities 
1. Jesus visited Jerusalem at the age of twelve 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 243 


2. What are some of the opportunities that we have? 
3. To whom are we responsible for making use of the 
opportunities ? 
4. Should we be satisfied until we have made use of every 
opportunity (parable of the Talents) ? 
V. Friendship 
1. What should be our attitude toward those who we 
believe are not living up to the Christian standard? 
(The story of the Woman of Samaria) 
2. What is meant by “friend” ? 
3. Is there a difference between “friend” and ‘‘acquaint- 
BROCE Ay 
4. How can we keep our friends? (To answer these 
questions a study of Christ and his disciples was made) 
VI. The results of jealousy (the story of Saul and the story of 
Joseph) 
VII. The keeping of the Sabbath 
1. Christ’s teaching of the Sabbath 
2. A debate 


VIII. Making a list of the characteristics of a Christian 


It was decided that the only way to answer the questions 
which had arisen was to know first of all the characteristics 
of a Christian. Accordingly one lesson was devoted to the 
pupils’ making their own lists. These were then read and a 
complete list made by the class. 

The book, The White Queen of Okoyong, was read. 
Lessons of Christian conduct were derived from this. Also, 
the pupils were interested in missions and prepared for the 
presentation of the missionary pageant given by all the 
children of the Community-Church School. This was a 
practical project of Christian service and citizenship for 
and in their community. 

Toward the close of the year the pupils were asked to 
tell whether they preferred having their class organized 


244 THE PRojJECT PRINCIPLE 


and if so to give their reasons. Everyone liked the organ- 
ized class better and following are some of the reasons given: 


. We know what we are trying to do. 

. We are drawn closer together. 

. More children come. 

. We have better lessons. 

. We feel mere like a body. 

. We take more interest in church school. 

. Everything isn’t mixed up. 

. The new children learn the things we had right away. 
. It is more interesting. 


0 ON AM PW ND H 


30. LETTERS FROM PAUL? 


A class of first-year high-school girls were studying the 
life of Paul. The teacher assigned a piece of work which 
was taken up by the pupils and became a real project. The 
suggestion was that the pupils put themselves in imagina- 
tion in the position of Paul in some definite place and write 
such a letter as they thought he would write to his mother. 
This project was in the nature of a review, for the work of 
Paul in each place was carefully studied before the letter 
was written. These letters, written after the study of each 
place, kept the review a continuous thing in the work of the 
class. They began with his arrival in Jerusalem as a 
student. Here is one: 

DERBE 
DEAR MOTHER: 

I am now at Derbe, which is situated on a stoneless, dry, 
level plain. Low-growing, sweet-smelling plants are practically 
the entire vegetation. Mount Hadjibaba is a beautiful mountain, 
rising eight thousand feet in height and is snow-clad until July. 
There is a custom-house here and the city lies upon the highway 


* Reported by Edith Haskell, teacher, First Baptist Church 
School, Newton Centre, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 245 


across central Asia Minor. We will probably spend the winter 
here, making tents part of the day and teaching the gospel the 
rest. In Lystra I cured a man who had been a cripple from birth. 
The people, believing us gods, called Barnabas Zeus, and me 
Hermes. They offered us a sacrifice and you can realize our 
grief and distress. We have visited Iconium, where we had great 
success. This naturally aroused opposition and so it was neces- 
sary to leave. In Antioch of Pisidia, where we spent about three 
months, we preached in the synagogue and throughout the 
country side. Mark was not with us, as he left us at Perga. In 
my last letter I told you of the island of Cyprus and our visit to 
the governor’s palace, so I must close. Hoping you are all well, 
Your affectionate son, 


PAUL 


These letters gave a definite reason for mastering infor- 
mation and finding proper expression of it. Reading outside 
the Acts account was necessary and so enriched the Bible 
material. The greatest value was the necessity of seeing an 
event from the inside. In a number of the letters there was 
a very careful and thorough analysis of the situation which 
proved a mastery of the material. It was a project for the 
mastery of a certain amount of material and in this limited 
field was very efficient. The girls gained a deeper apprecia- 
tion of the missionary enterprise, for this project led on to 
discussions and evaluations of what Paul did. The com- 
position of the letters helped them to the fact basis for 
profitable discussion. 


31. FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST: 


A class of first-year intermediate girls were studying the 
Gospel of Mark. In order that they might gain by really 
thinking of what Christlike acts mean in the twentieth 


Reported by Mrs. Aimee Kilgore, Newton Theological 
Institution, Newton Centre, Massachusetts, 


246 Tue Proyect PRINCIPLE 


century, the teacher asked the pupils to bring in from week 
to week reports of things they have seen which they thought 
Christ would like. She explained the spirit of the second 
mile to them and asked that the deeds recorded be things 
done over and above required duties. 

With the material thus gained, each pupil made a book. 
For each observation the teacher gave two or more Bible 
quotations of things said or done by Jesus, and the pupil 
selected the one which seemed to her best suited to the deed. 
She then wrote up her observation with the quotation, pasted 
it on black pasteboard, with a picture on either side, one 
from the life of Christ, the other in some way appropriate 
to the deed observed. One-cent Perry pictures were used 
and others from magazines and papers. ‘Titles were sug- 
gested by the pupils and ‘Following Jesus Christ” was 
chosen by vote. 

The first inside page was introductory. Besides a pic- 
ture of Christ, it contained the ‘‘second-mile” quotation 
(Matt. 5:41), the sentence, “‘Be glad to do more than is 
required of you,” and the girl’s own explanation of her work: 
“This is a record of little deeds which Jesus would like all of 
us to do because they are done freely.” 

The observations were simple. “I saw a girl who was 
wheeling a baby whose mother had gone away and didn’t 
have anyone in the house to take care of it. J think Jesus 
would like this because he said, ‘Whosoever of you will be 
the chiefest shall be servant of all. For even the Son of 
Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister’ 
(Mark 10:44, 45).’’ On one side was the picture of a girl 
with a baby, on the other the picture of the boy Christ 
helping Joseph. 

“T saw a girl hand a hymnbook to someone else.” 
This was linked up with the words of Jesus in Matt. 25:40. 
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 247 


brethren, ye have done it unto me.” “I saw a little girl 
who was helping her grandmother. I think Jesus was glad 
because he was kind and helpful to his parents. ‘He went 
down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject 
unto them’ (Luke 2:51a).”’ “I was with some girls and we 
were going into a girl’s house and she said to be as quiet as 
possible because her mother was sick.” This was linked 
with the Golden Rule. 

Aside from the benefit of consciously observing good 
things, and of completing a book, the girls gained in insight 
through the experience. When first called on they could 
see nothing at all to report. Then the first observations 
were all about serving the sick in some way. Anything else 
they brought with a question. ‘“‘A girl said to be quiet 
because her mother was sick. Is that one?” Gradually 
they learned to see a connection between Jesus’ way of life 
and teachings, and the little courtesies, the little gratuitous 
services and deeds of thoughtfulness which are apt to go 
unobserved and unappreciated. 


32. DRAMATIZING MISSIONARY STORIES 
FOR OTHERS? 


The children of Gary are intensely interested in mission- 
ary stories. The story of Chundra Lela, a child-widow of 
India, was told to a seventh-grade class, and, though they 
realized it was the life of a person who had lived over half 
a century ago, they were fascinated by it. 

Immediately there was a request that they be allowed 
to dramatize the story. Before this could be done, they 
must discover how the conditions of today compared with 
those of the period of the story. By searching through 


t Reported by Sadie E. Wood, instructor in Community- 
Church Schools, Gary, Indiana. 


248 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


books and magazines they found the number of child- 
widows now in India and the treatment they receive. They 
were then able to weave these facts into their dramatization. 

At first no attempt at costuming was made, but when a 
request was received from the young people’s society of one 
of the churches that it be given for them, the children 
decided that costumes were necessary. This meant more 
study. At the close of this presentation an offering was 
taken amounting to enough to support a Bible woman in 
India. 

Later a request came from a church in another city and 
the dramatization was presented there. Each time the 
children entered into the work with the feeling that they 
were passing on to others information which they had 
secured, so that interest in India might be aroused. 

As soon as the study of India was completed, the chil- 
dren asked to be allowed to study child-life in some other 
country. The next country chosen was Africa. In connec- 
tion with this study they constructed an African village, 
building the straw huts, molding cooking utensils, costum- 
ing dolls, etc. The village was later used as a part of the 
missionary exhibit. 

The next request was for permission to study child-life 
in China. Greatest interest was again aroused by securing 
a story which presented these conditions to them and by 
allowing them to dramatize it. Again they sought and 
secured definite information that they might present it to 
others. 

At the end of the year, this class presented as a part of 
the annual church-school pageant a scene depicting child- 
life in China and their need of Christian education and its 
influences. 

By the end of the year there seemed to have been 
aroused in the heart of each child a new appreciation of what 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 240 


Christianity has meant to him, an increased sympathy for 
the boys and girls of other lands, and a desire to pass on to 
them advantages which they themselves possess. 


33. BROTHERS UNDER THE SKIN‘ 


Origin of the project.—For six weeks the entire school 
planned to study about our Negro friends, in this country 
and in Africa. The Women’s Alliance was also studying the 
Negro problem. The eighth-grade girls were asked to meet 
one afternoon a week after school and make charts to help 
the study groups. 

Development of the project—The group gathered around 
a large table, in a room where a blackboard and bookcase 
with some books about the Negro furnished tools for 
beginning the work. The first question.to be raised was: 
“What shall go on the charts?” Next, ‘‘What do we want 
to show?” This led to, “What is our aim?” After dis- 
cussion, an aim was set—to show how the Negro has devel- 
oped and how we can help him. 

Next a list was made of what we wished to include in the 
series on the charts, which finally resolved itself into: (1) 
place of the Negroes in the United States; (2) conditions of 
the Negroes in Africa; (3) what our church is doing in 
Africa; (4) conditions of the Negroes in the United States; 
(5) what we are doing to help the Negro in the United States. 

With this list as our starting-point the work began. 
Each week the topic for the following week was taken up at 
the close of the meeting, broken up into a series of questions, 
and each girl took one question to look up and report on at 
the next meeting. She either took a reference book from 
the church or visited the library. 


* Reported by Frances Rose Edwards, director of religious 
education, St. Luke’s Church, Rochester, New York. 


250 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


The meetings began with the reports on the questions 
taken, discussing in turn the number of Negroes in the 
United States, their distribution, the manner of their coming 
here, their treatment, what we owe them, tracing back to 
conditions among the tribes in Africa, their first contacts 
with white men, stories of the great missionaries, the study 
of the work of-our church in Liberia, and of our church in 
the United States, with the question of what we can do for 
them now. After discussing the questions of the day, the 
making of charts was in order. A book of these charts was 
made and hung in the hall of the parish house. New posters 
were added each week, which were used by all the groups in 
their study and were much examined by passers through 
the hall. The chartbook included: 


Cover—‘“‘ With Our Negro Friends in Africa and United States” 

Negroes in the United States—graphs showing population and 
distribution 

Half a Century of Negro Progress—statistics of negro progress in 
the United States 

In Darkest Africa—colored maps showing population, etc. 

Conditions in Africa—home scenes 

Contact with the Whites—great missionaries 

Liberia—maps and dates 

Our Bishops in Liberia—pictures 

Life in Liberia—scenes 

Our Schools in Liberia—pictures 

The Rise of the Negro—comparative pictures of thie Negro in the 
United States, worst and best 


The meetings closed with exhibition of posters and summar- 
izing discussion and prayers. 

Results.—In addition to the completion of the charts, 
which was the product directly sought, there was also growth 
in the skill of poster-making and the use of reference mate- 


Projects OF INTERMEDIATES 251 


rial. A vast amount of knowledge of the development of 
the Negro was gained as indicated by the foregoing topic 
headings. Not only the textbook was studied, but half a 
dozen others. Among the new attitudes which developed 
were respect for our Negro “brothers,” admiration for 
progress they have made, and a changed attitude toward 
the primitive Negro as a result of the realization of the degree 
of civilization reached by some tribes. A stronger desire to 
help the church in its work among Negroes they found could 
be expressed in their contacts with Negroes in our city and a 
resolve to stand for fair treatment of them by the public. 

The carrying through of this project also led on to other 
activities, such as the selection of a Negro mission in Texas 
to which to send Christmas gifts the following year; help 
given a Negro mission in the city; a changed attitude toward 
the Negro sexton of our church; and continued interest in 
reading and following Negro progress. 


34. A CHURCH-SCHOOL BOYS’ BAND? 


The boys of a little suburban church in a New Jersey 
city were a confirmed problem. The church was the only 
one in this outlying neighborhood. The section was 
characterized by an unusual amount of friction between the 
grown-up folks and the boys, due to a particularly exagger- 
ated lot of petty misdemeanors. 

The church-school program had been built up under an 
especially conservative superintendent and pastor, and was 
entirely given over to systematic instruction in biblical 
material. 

The pastors changed. The new pastor gave himself 
especially to this problem. He enlisted the help of a rather 


™Reported by G. H. Roehrig, secretary of Boys’ Work 
Department, Y.M.C.A., Boston, Massachusetts. 


252 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


ordinary parishioner and with his older boy proceeded to 
go aggressively at the job of organizing a boys’ department 
in the church. 

The first meeting of the four classes that were federated 
into the boys’ department followed a Sunday-school lesson 
on “Mary’s Gift of the Alabaster Box of Ointment.” On 
listing the gifts that the members in one of the classes felt 
boys might have, that could be used in the service of Christ’s 
cause in the world, music was mentioned. It happened 
that four of the boys in the division were interested in play- 
ing the horn and had attained some proficiency; one of 
them especially was capable as a cornetist. The upshot of 
the matter was that a boys’ band was decided upon as a 
desirable means of bringing the boys together under Chris- 
tian influences, and the pastor, who was himself an old 
band man, agreed to become the leader. This band 
became the very heart of an unusually effective piece of 
boys’ work covering a period of between five and six 
years. Out of it several of the boys have gone into the 
ministry. 

The official board of the church today is almost entirely 
composed of these old band boys, and an analysis of the 
complete membership would be one of the most convincing 
arguments for Christian work with boys that one seeking 
such arguments could find. 

As a project, the band provided a program for the boys 
of this church that lasted for five years. It suggested the 
organization of a Scout troop as an auxiliary enterprise. It 
provided enthusiasm for an all-round church-school boys’ 
department program that was effective in changing the 
future of the boys who were its members and the whole 
character of the boyhood of the neighborhood. 


PROJECTS OF INTERMEDIATES 253 


35. DEVELOPING SKILL FOR SERVICE: 


In a Daily Vacation Bible School which included about 
thirty primary children, there were four girls of interme- 
diate age. Instead of making a regular class for these girls, 
the school leader asked them to help the primary teachers 
with the younger children. On the third or fourth day of the 
school she made the girls another offer. They were told that 
if they cared to take time outside of school for a special class 
and for a small amount of preparation, she would give them 
teacher-training instruction. It was also suggested that if 
they wished to take an examination at the end of school, 
they could earn certificates for their work from denomina- 
tional headquarters. The girls were asked to consider the 
proposition, and vote on it the next day. Every one voted 
to do teacher-training work in the extra session. 

This is the way the project worked out. As the 
southern summer was hot, the class met sometimes in the 
afternoon or the early evening. Each day the group 
decided when and where they would meet. Most often 
they met on the cool library veranda. The shifting hour and 
place added zest to the whole enterprise. One unit of the 
Standard Teacher-Training Course was adopted for study, 
but the experiences arising in the day’s work with the chil- 
dren more often furnished the real text. The girls could 
sometimes hardly wait for the class hour to discuss their 
newly arisen problems. 

Only part of the class had the courage to take the de- 
nominational examination and receive credit, but this was, 
after all, the least of what each member received from the 
summer’s work. Their power as leaders in the vacation 


* Reported by Harriet Yarrow, Wellesley College student in 
summer service under the Congregational Sunday School Exten- 
sion Society. 


254 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


school increased unmistakably as the weeks went by. Not 
alone the primary children in the vacation school, but broth- 
ers and sisters in their own homes benefited by big sister’s 
study. The girls often brought in to the class an account of 
their success in story-telling at home or of the delight the 
younger ones at home were taking in the new things they 
were teaching them. Their letters throughout the fall have 
evidenced a genuine delight in service, much of which must 
be traced to this training course which they pursued with the 
definite motive of becoming more efficient Christian leaders. 


SECTION V 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 
36. OUR EVERY-MEMBER CANVASS! 


The Every-Member Canvass in the local church affords 
excellent opportunity for an educational project. Here is an 
enterprise of very great importance in the life and work of 
the church, one in which all the members, both older and 
younger, are asked to take part. 

The leader of a high-school department in one church 
approached this project several months before the event, 
carrying on the following conversation with the pupils: 

“What is the Every-Member Canvass ?” 

_ “That is when men come around to the house and ask 
you to give money for the church.” 

“Do any of you give?” 

It was evident that a very fair proportion of the mem- 
bership were making pledges. 

“What is the money for ?” 

Silence on the part of most accompanied by questioning 
glances at one another, some shrugs, and a few saying openly, 
“We do not know.” One or two said it was for the church. 

“Yes, but what does the church do with the money ?” 

“We do not know.” 

“Ts it not a rather stupid thing to give money that way 
when you do not know the purpose of it? Suppose you go 
home and ask your parents about it.”’ 


1 Reported by Herbert W. Gates, secretary of missionary 
education, Congregational Education Society, Boston, Mass- 
achusetts. 


255 


256 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


This was rather a cruel suggestion, for it brought exactly 
the result that had been expected. “They do not know 
either.” 

“Well,” said the leader, ‘‘this seems to me more and 
more stupid. Here we are, a lot of boys and girls giving 
money, and even our parents and older members of the 
church are giving money without knowing how it is to be 
used. What shall we do about it ?” 

The suggestion followed that they ought to find out 
just how the money was to be used. When asked what good 
that would do, they replied that they would know more 
about it and perhaps they could think up some way of help- 
ing to inform other members of the church. One boy said 
that if people knew more they might give more, and therefore 
they would be helping to make the canvass more successful. 

The suggestion was adopted by vote of the department. 
A committee was instructed to get a copy of the church 
budget from the trustees and the benevolence committee 
and have copies made for distribution. 

These were then studied and discussed in the class 
groups and some rather interesting things followed. It did 
not take one boy very long to discover that the church was 
spending a rather small amount on the Sunday school in 
comparison with some other things. The discovery was 
duly reported and discussed in the department and at home 
with beneficial results. When they came to the study of 
the benevolence budget, the question arose as to the nature 
and work of all these societies. Various committees in 
these class groups became responsible for the different items. 
They wrote to the board offices, and secured literature from 
which they learned the facts. They then discussed ways 
and means of presenting this information so that it would be 
interesting and helpful to others. A number of different 
methods were chosen, of which three may be noted. 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS DEF 


A series of posters was prepared, some of which illus- 
trated the work of the local church in the community, others 
different phases of the missionary and educational work 
carried on through missionary and educational boards. 
These posters were displayed for the first time at the dinner 
held for the Every-Member Canvass organization and more 
than one canvasser admitted that he had learned more from 
them about the cause than he had ever known before. 

Another interesting and helpful piece of work was the 
preparation of several programs which were given in the 
Sunday school and some of which were repeated at the mid- 
week meeting of the church, setting forth in dramatic form 
different phases of the church’s work at home and abroad. 

A third result was an offer by the members of the depart- 
ment to render any assistance they could to the canvassers 
in helping to prepare cards and records or, in the case of some 
of the older members, in taking part in the canvass itself. 

Of the results which were discernible, two were note- 
worthy. Remarks were made by several members of the 
department indicating that through this project they had 
for the first time obtained a clear idea of what the church 
was really for and what church membership meant. It is 
not too much to say that a deep impression was made upon 
them as to the responsibility resting upon a church member 
for the support of the work of his church. ‘The creation of 
such an attitude was evidenced by a marked increase in the 
pledges made by the young people of that department when 
the canvass was held. 


37. A CHURCH-SCHOOL PRESS CLUB? 


The starting-point for this enterprise was the fact that 
a church-school superintendent owned an old hand-printing 


t A report adapted from an article by the author appearing in 
the Church School for May, 1924. 


258 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


press. With the idea that one of his boys’ classes might be 
interested in printing, he offered its use to the class. The 
boys and their teacher responded heartily. Not one of 
them, including the teacher, had had any previous printing 
experience, but by the use of printer’s manuals and the 
generous help of the local printer they set to work. 

They decided to offer their services to their church 
(First Congregational, Barre, Massachusetts) to print a 
weekly calendar. The first few weeks the copies were not 
entirely free from mistakes, but this only led to a desire to 
improve, and before long they became quite proud of their 
work. Then in addition to the calendar they took on the 
printing of the topic cards for the young people’s society, 
special church programs, and dodgers and tickets for local 
high-school activities. At Christmas they printed and gave 
beautiful greeting cards to the membership of the parish. 

The club held two meetings a week aside from the 
Sunday session of the class to which all belonged. On 
Wednesday evenings the boys broke up the form used the 
previous week and distributed the type for later use. The 
remainder of the evening was spent in having a good time. 
A basement room had been made into a printshop and 
clubroom. On Saturday afternoons, the club, led by the — 
teacher, set up the type for the next day’s bulletin. After 
the form was locked and put in place, the press was kept 
going until sufficient copies were run off. 

The club soon discovered that their type was out of 
date. About the same time one of the boys found an old 
foot-power jig-saw in the basement. Ideas came thick and 
fast. The result was that the boys began to make scroll- 
work and toys, and with the profits accruing from their sale 
bought new type. The calendar thereafter had a more 
up-to-date appearance. From an old wooden frame a 
bulletin board was made and hung on the wall of the club- 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 259 


room to display samples of work done. A scrapbook was 
also started to record the club’s activities. Later came an 
“‘at-home” night for their parents and friends. 

What were the values of this Press Club’s activities from 
the standpoint of Christian education? Some might view 
such an enterprise as play and valuable only as a bait to coax 
boys to stay in Sunday school. But the experiences pro- 
vided by the club were worth while of themselves. 

Much of the life of the boys became centered in the 
club. The printing interest gathered around it other 
interests and furnished a wholesome program of activities 
both recreational and instructional. Although the com- 
munity did not offer as many agencies competing for the 
attention of these boys as some, it is quite doubtful whether 
attractions of a harmful sort could have competed success- 
fully with the Press Club. The leader lived on the interest 
level of his boys and provided associations both interesting 
and wholesome. 

The specific contributions of the club activities to the 
lives of the boys included improved ability in spelling and 
_English composition, artistic arrangement, neatness, and 
the joy of creative workmanship. Recreational and social 
values have been mentioned. Although none of these boys 
will pursue printing as a vocation, they know and appreciate 
better the part printing plays in the life of society, cultural 
and citizenship values not to be slighted. 

In the realm of ideals and motives there are several 
good results. The selection and setting of quotations from 
great Christian thinkers and printing of hymn titles, the fact 
that they were giving their services to the church, the con- 
stant and sympathetic counsel of a mature Christian leader, 
all kept the activities from being mere busy work. It was 
commonplace activity shot through and through with the 
Christian spirit and purpose. 


260 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


These values were not due to any magical form of 
organization or to a popular program made by an outside 
agency. The club’s simple organization and necessary 
officers were viewed as means to an end and not ends in 
themselves. The use of a local interest such as this, about 
which a program of wholesome Christian activity may be 
built, should be suggestive to other schools. For the char- 
acter by-product in the Press Club was more important than 
the primary activity. 


38. WRITING ORIGINAL PROGRAMS AS 
A SERVICE PROJECT! 


Can high-school boys and girls write and produce ori- 
ginal world-friendship programs as a service project for 
their church school or young people’s society ? Will they? 
Should they? Ifso, why and how? 

Out of experience with guiding many such programs in 
two churches, the writer has selected four student products 
as the basis for replying that adolescents can, will, and 
ought to. All four have been good enough to publish for 
wider use. ‘Two deal with India, one with church building, 
one with ministers’ service pensions. Three were written 
by boys, the fourth by girls. In two cases the church-school 
teachers preferred to help, in two, however, preferred not to. 
The striking points in common are that all four have had a 
definitely traceable effect on the schools for which they were 
given, on other schools, on older church people, and 
markedly on the producers themselves. 

The general reason and method were similar. A 
program sent from headquarters was too long or too heavy; 
or a bright class was demanding to be of use; or a teacher 


* Reported by Mary Jenness, director of missionary educa- 
tion, First Congregational Church, Dover, New Hampshire. 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 261 


had asked for reinforcement with a difficult group. In 
each case the service director paged the class or individuals, 
who never failed to respond with enthusiasm to the appeal: 
‘‘Want to write a play for our school ?” 

A schoolroom, a living-room, a church parlor, any 
place that has a big table will do. A worth-while subject 
and a director who knows it thoroughly, pencil and paper, 
a dish of Macintosh Reds, boys and girls with three-quarters 
of an hour to spare, what more is essential? Almost as soon 
as the stories about the field are told, the playwrights begin 
to see themselves in the situation. Usually when a whole 
class works together, it provides parts for every member, 
either in the play itself or as property manager, publicity 
or poster man. 

The opportunities for originality are varied. In one of 
the India plays where a teacher and nurse were planning to 
meet and discuss their work, the teacher promptly demanded 
a school and the nurse a patient! These were borrowed from 
the primary department for two very clever pantomime 
scenes into which the children entered with delight. 

For a church-building society dialogue, one boy made a 
perfect model of the church in question, another printed 
labels for his secretarial suitcase, the fourth assembled 
victrola records, a moving-picture machine, games, Boy 
Scout cooking outfit, books and pictures. Small wonder 
that three years later all the boys remembered almost 
verbatim the play that they had made so visible! 

The result for the local church school is always intense 
interest, usually a larger offering, invariably half-a-dozen 
demands from other classes, “‘When do we get a chance ?”’ 
If such a product is published for use in other schools, it 
often leads to original work in the new places, because timid 
leaders or backward classes find out how simple the method 
is and what fun it is. Older church people, either out of 


262 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


pride in their local production or because the message has 
actually made an impression, often insist on bringing up 
special offerings for the cause presented. 

Better than these is the effect on the young writers 
themselves. What they have put their best into has become 
theirs. A worth-while message that thus gets under their 
skins begins to work there. Out of twelve boys and girls 
who wrote these programs, seven are today intense and 
dependable workers for their school or society and church. 
Two Christian Endeavor presidents and seven officers have 
come from the number; three of these nine give promise of 
special Christian life-service. At least four were held in 
churches which they were on the very point of leaving; two 
of these are today the backbone of their class. 

To be more specific: in one case the pastor’s assistant 
went to call on an unknown mother under the excuse of 
congratulating her on her boy’s part in the play. She found 
a foreign-speaking woman most eager to learn English, 
made the connection possible for her, and mother and son 
presently joined the church together. In another, two girls 
from poor families were ready to drop out of a class made up 
mostly of wealthy Camp Fire girls. The prestige of having 
written a play good enough to be published and paid for 
warmed the atmosphere for the writers! Both joined the 
church last Easter. Today both are class officers. One of 
them is heart and soul back of the world-friendship program 
for which she produces posters, bulletins, and ideas innumer- 
able. One of her dodgers was good enough to be used at the 
National Council of Congregational Churches. Today this 
girl is the service director’s right hand. A year and a half 
ago she was about to leave the school for good. It was her 
own gift to the school that made the difference. 

Office-made programs, however excellent, are rarely 
adapted to every school. A homemade product enlists the 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 263 


_ writers, educates the audience, and sets the cause presented 
to work in a number of young lives, all of which are precious, 
a few invaluable for the Kingdom of God. 


Epiror’s Note.—For an account of the production of one 
of these original programs see Description No. 23, p. 227. 


39. DEVELOPING INITIATIVE AND RESPONSI- 
BILITY IN A HIGH-SCHOOL 
DEPARTMENT? 


Until recently the young people’s work in our church 
presented all the difficulties found in the average church, 
such as lack of unity between the Sunday-morning session 
and the evening meeting of the young people’s society, 
adult responsibility for conducting worship in Sunday school, 
stereotyped programs at the evening meeting and general 
indifference. Facing this unsatisfactory condition, the 
director called a committee of the key young people, 
together in her home for a very informal conference. In 
these meetings the young people were encouraged to express 
their own convictions and make plans accordingly. No 
pressure was brought to bear upon them, and after careful 
thought they recommended the organization of the inter- 
mediate and senior classes into a high-school department and 
the conduct of the departmental worship by each class in turn. 

Since the time was early summer the matter was left to 
be considered until fall. In September the committee 
decided to ask each class to send a representative to an 
enlarged executive committee meeting. This was done and 
all the representatives but one reported their classes as 
willing to try the plan. The committee then voted to begin 
on Sunday following Rally Day, the class of oldest boys to 


* Reported by Grace Morrill, director of religious education, 
South Congregational Church, Concord, New Hampshire. 


264 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


take charge first and the others to follow. It was also 
planned that after each class had taken its turn, the depart- 
ment was to vote on the question of continuing the plan. 

The classes met each week with the director and planned 
their program. The mistakes of preceding classes were 
analyzed and corrected by those following. More and more 
the young people took the lead in suggesting material for 
the service. The prayers composed by each class at their 
own suggestion showed a continuous development of 
originality and thinking. ‘The plan worked so well that the 
one class which at first held back became thoroughly con- 
vinced of its worth. 

In connection with this enterprise other activities 
developed under the leadership of the executive committee. 
Many of the same young people were meeting for a Sunday- 
evening devotional and discussion program. The com- 
mittee decided to make its own topical program, going to 
other lists for suggestions. As a result there was an 
increased attendance and better programs and a freer, 
more natural, and more thoughtful discussion. The meet- 
ings held in the home of the director came to have the 
advantage of informality and at the same time grew in 
seriousness and dignity. The group also provided for its 
social life. The largest social ever undertaken by the young 
people was held, together with a supper and after-dinner 
speeches, in all of which there was revealed a growing feeling 
of responsibility to the church. 

One evening the young people took entire charge of the 
midweek service with the pastor and director sitting in the 
audience. The program was well prepared and appro- 
priate in every particular. A special prayer was written 
for the occasion by the committee. The theme presented 
was “Our Ideals for South Church.”’ Shortly following this 
there came an enthusiastic request by the boys to take part 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 265 


in the Every-Member Canvass. Some of them had assisted 
the year before and told of the value which the experience 
had had for them. ‘The desire to serve also found expression 
in the missionary programs at their worship services and 
in the work of their active service committee, which took 
complete charge of the Christmas entertainment. This 
latter committee also cares for the distribution of flowers to 
the sick and shut-ins. A play was put on to earn money for 
missions and to buy hymnals. As further indication of this 
new spirit, two training classes for leadership were instituted, 
one for girls and one for boys, both enthusiastic and taking 
their preparation seriously. All this work of the depart- 
ment was described in a report made by their secretary to 
annual meeting of the church. 

The contribution of all these activities to the develop- 
ment of our young people is apparent. Both the Sunday- 
school superintendent and the director have gladly with- 
drawn into the background in view of the growing habit of 
accepting responsibilities on the part of these young people. 
They have a more intelligent and active loyalty to their 
church and its work. They have become more thoughtful 
and resourceful in planning their programs. Mechanical 
acceptance of adult ideas is being replaced by natural expres- 
sion of their own and at the same time there has come a 
growth in reverence and seriousness when such attitudes 
are appropriate. 


40. A PROJECT IN BIBLICAL DRAMATICS: 


While the writer has used the dramatic method of 
teaching a story with boys and girls of all ages as well as 
with adults, the following is a typical case. The group 
consisted of twenty girls in a week-day class conducted by 


Reported by Mary Lawrance, director of the School of 
Liberal Religion, Jamaica, New York. 


266 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


several Protestant churches in the parish house of the North 
Woodward Congregational Church, Detroit, Michigan. 
Each period was a little less than an hour in length, and 
began at four in the afternoon. 

The story chosen relates the contest of the three young 
men of the court of King Darius as told in First Esdras in 
the Apocrypha, omitting, however, the reference to the power 
of women in the beginning of the speech of Zerubbabel. 

In the first period the story was told and then the pupils 
were asked to tell what kind of pictures they might create 
out of it if they were artists. This discussion was long and 
absorbing. The first period closed with the request that 
they tell next time what name might be given to the story. 

In the next session one of the younger girls retold the 
story, using as an excuse for this repetition the fact that a 
pupil was present who had been absent at the last session. 
The name of our story was discussed and several were 
proposed, all of which showed careful thinking. The one 
selected was, ‘“‘The Three Young Men at the Court of 
Darius.” The pupils were next asked how they would 
dress if they were to represent the scene, and a long dis- 
cussion followed about homespun materials, their dye, 
their fashion, and their uses. The lesson closed with a 
demonstration of how to wear Hebrew costumes. The 
leader produced a. sample man’s and woman’s costume and 
dressed up some of the pupils, who began to ask many such 
questions as: ‘“‘Why did they wear heavy cloth hanging 
from their heads?” ‘Shall I use pins to fasten the end of 
this girdle ?”? ‘‘Why not?” ‘Why is the side of the tunic 
cut on the straight of the goods?” They were asked to 
discover at home anything they could about Darius, his 
time or his country. 

The third period started with such reports as the 
children had of their home investigation. Since this was 


CO OO EE 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 267 


rather meager, it was supplemented by questions to stimu- 
late them to draw conclusions from such information as they 
already had. We then made a list of characters and proper- 
ties, since it was determined that we should give the story 
in public and use the pantomime method. At the mention 
of properties we were led into a discussion of their uses and 
this was particularly fruitful, as one of them involved the 
question of what material a scribe of that period would use. 
As the time was nearing for the close of the lesson there was 
not much opportunity for a rehearsal, but a beginning was 
made. The girls selected their own cast and fell to work 
with a will, planning as the high point the big court scene 
when the king is surrounded by the courtiers and is listening 
to the contest of the three young men. It was entirely their 
choice that the king’s throne be placed in the middle of the 
platform and that the three young men should stand on its 
edge to his right, while the princes of Media and Persia 
were placed to advantage behind and at the sides of the 
king. They were warned that variations in their planning 
might need to be made at the next rehearsal when the action 
should develop and they left all aglow over the prospects of 
coming back next week to undertake the working-out of the 
rest of the drama. 

The fourth meeting was spent entirely in rehearsal, and 
we began with the scene that we had practiced the previous 
time. When they were in place, we determined the order of 
the procession both mounting and leaving the platform, 
always with reference to the position during this climax 
scene. The opinions of the girls were asked as to how fast 
or slow should be the tempo of the procession, and the 
method of making a bow before the king was discussed. 
After practicing these we went on to the other scenes in 
the same way, and at every problem as to how a thing should 
be done, they were consulted rather than told outright. It 


268 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


was delightful to note how simply they could arrive at 
conclusions when basing their arguments on facts that they 
already knew. Thus we worked out the position that the 
scribe should take when receiving dictation from the king 
and discovered what would be the natural position for the 
three young men in the bodyguard when resting outside 
the king’s chamber in the middle of the night. Thus we 
investigated Psalm 150 for a list of musical instruments to 
indicate what might have been used by the Jews in their 
“‘feasting and music for seven days.”’ It was determined 
that the position of the scribe be at the left of the king and 
the girl appointed as courier saw that she should be prepared 
to place a stool at the right of the throne at the time the 
king asked Zerubbabel to sit “‘in token of victory.” 

As the time assigned to work with the girls was ne- 
cessarily brief, the making of costumes and properties was 
not undertaken, but instead these were taken from the 
leader’s costume trunk. This meant that one of the most 
profitable methods of working out our dramatic problem, 
planning the color scheme and buying and shaping of 
materials, had to be sacrified. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a 
swifter preparation which compensated us in the end. For 
the last rehearsal each girl was given a costume to put 
aside, neatly folded with a proper label. The hour was 
spent going through the whole presentation with special 
reference to speed of action while the text was read, and 
for finishing entrances and other acting. This was our 
fifth and last lesson, yet the time had been sufficient for 
our preparation. Such matters as lighting the platform 
the leader took entirely upon herself, as this problem is not 
vital to the project in hand from the point of view of the 
student. 

On the day that the presentation was given the rest of 
the school and the other visitors were assembled before the 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 269 


platform at which there was no curtain or footlights. 
Everyone had studied to be simple and unaffected and it 
was entirely easy for the young girls in the cast to give a 
spontaneous performance exactly as they had done in the 
rehearsals. There was a simple dignity to all their move- 
ments. Since they did not have to speak, there was an. 
entire absence of nervousness and the performance seemed 
all the more genuine because of it. 


41. SELECTING TOPICS FOR YOUNG 
PEOPLE’S MEETING? 


An experiment carried through at the Yankton, South 
Dakota, Summer Conference demonstrates the avidity and 
skill with which high-school young people build up a topical 
schedule for themselves. The group consisted of about 
fifty young folks who met for five hourly sessions to consider 
the problems and opportunities of their local societies. 
They considered themselves, during these five hours, mem- 
bers of a single society. A program committee was 
appointed, its duty being to submit a list of topics for the 
season beginning the first Sunday in September. The com- 
mittee proposed the following: 

1. The use of such topics only as are specific and 
practical and related to the lives of young people. 

2. The assignment of leaders for only three or four 
weeks at a time, to make possible the carrying over of an 
interesting subject for a second Sunday. 

3. The selection of only ten topics for the thirteen weeks, 
so as to allow freedom for extended discussion and for the 
addition of timely themes. 


Reported by Harry T. Stock, young people’s secretary, 
Congregational Education Society, Boston, Massachusetts. Re- 
printed from the Congregationalist for September 6, 1923. 


270 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


‘4. The topics suggested were: 


What Should Our Education Do for Us? 

What Is Our Society for ? 

What Does Our Community Need ? 

What Are the Rightful Claims of Our Church upon Us ? 

Some Things We Are Going to Do This Year. 

The Self-centered Life. 

What in the Present-Day Social Life Would Christ Approve? 
What Disapprove ? 

What Can Christianity Do for the World ? 

How Can We Overcome Indifference to Active Christian Work in 
Our Community ? 

What Have We to Be Thankful for this Year? (Thanksgiving 
Sunday) 


In considering possible topics the committee had in mind 
a single principle—the needs and opportunities of the local 
group of young people. A unified program was sought; 
a practical and attractive phraseology was deemed impor- 
tant. The Christian Endeavor list was studied, as was the 
“Optional Series”? which appears in the Wellspring. The 
result was as follows: Two selections from the Christian 
Endeavor list, two other Christian Endeavor topics in 
modified form, two from the ‘Optional Series,” two from a 
bulletin issued by the Education Society, and two wholly 
original. 

The entire group discussed each item in the report. The 
discrimination shown by the members is indicated by the 
following criticisms. 

There was general disapproval of “The Self-centered 
Life.” It was regarded as hackneyed and sermonic in form. 
The idea was good; it needed a new formulation. A second 
topic was needed to complete it; namely, one which empha- 
sized service. Several suggestions were made; such as, 
“fA Life of Service” and “‘Does It Pay to Serve ?” but these 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 270 


were immediately rejected. The one approved was, ‘‘How 
Can We Serve ?” 

This same experiment has been tried elsewhere with 
similar results. For example, a group of young people at 
the Middle Atlantic Summer Conference appointed a 
program committee which brought in its report. Each 
topic was subjected to careful criticism as at Yankton. 
But the notable point is the fact that this group chose a 
list of an entirely different character, which reinforces the 
principle that each group should choose its own. 


42. A GIFT OF HYMNALS: 


A gift of hymnals to our church school was the result of 
carefully planned services of worship and of the opportunity 
which is granted to our young people to share in the prep- 
aration and presentation of these services. 

For a year or more the superintendent of the young 
people’s division planned and presented services of worship 
and song with great care and study. The old songbook 
which had some of the old hymns of the church in the back 
of it was used, and only those hymns were sung which have 
stood the test of time. During the year just closed the 
programs were not only planned by the young people in the 
different classes, but were presented by them as well. Each 
of these teen-age classes took its turn at providing a 
program. 

The oldest class of boys, consisting of Juniors and 
Seniors in high school, presented several programs and found 
it to be a difficult matter to locate in the old songbook hymns 
which exactly fitted into the plan for their programs. They 
wanted to use the dignified hymns of the church and also 


t Reported by Herbert F. Stevenson, superintendent, Con- 
gregational Church School, Needham, Massachusetts. 


272 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


more recent hymns of service, of which there was such a 
scarcity in the songbook. The result was that this class of 
boys decided to present to the young people’s division fifty 
copies of Worship and Song as a Christmas gift. They 
raised the funds through an entertainment in the nature of a 
crayon talk by the best New England cartoonist. 

The occasion of presentation was most interesting. The 
superintendent had not been made entirely aware of the 
situation. When he announced the first hymn one Sunday 
morning, one of the younger scholars stated that there did 
not seem to be any books available in his vicinity. Other 
pupils likewise found themselves without a book. Only the 
superintendent appeared to possess a copy. When he 
began to question as to the disappearance of their usual song- 
books, one of the boys in the generous class arose and made 
a statement. He said the class had found the old books 
unsatisfactory because of their inferior quality of hymns 
and had been examining several newer books of the better 
grade. He then went on to make a brief presentation speech 
while other members of the class brought in the new books. 

There are four results worth noting: 

First, we have real hymnals which insure dignified music 
in place of the jazzy songs found in so many Sunday-school 
books. 

Second, this class of boys acquired considerable informa- 
tion about good hymns. 

Third, they strengthened their habit of service to the 
school. 

Fourth, they developed'a larger sense of responsibility 
for the effective running of the school and the department. 


Eprror’s NotE.—Since this report was written these books 
were burned in a fire which damaged the church. One of the 
first appropriations of insurance money was for their replacement. 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 272 


43. A CO-OPERATIVE STUDY OF 
CHURCH HISTORY: 


In the late spring a class of girls of high-school age came 
to their teacher and wanted to know what they were going to 
study the next year. She told them she did not know and 
asked what they would like. They said they had been 
thinking and they would like to learn something about 
church history. To them it seemed that ‘‘someone was 
always saying something” or they “‘ were reading something ”’ 
that had reference to church history and they were ashamed 
of their ignorance. The teacher agreed to see what she 
could do. So a few weeks later she suggested an outline 
of a course which they thought was just what they wanted. 
It was roughly this: first, thirteen weeks taking up the 
growth of the Christian church, beginning with its Hebrew 
background and ending with the Reformation; second, 
thirteen weeks dealing with the growth of denominational- 
ism, the Protestant-Catholic division and then the rise of the 
various denominations in their historical order, with the 
principal ideas associated with each one and a brief survey of 
their history and present trends; third, thirteen weeks on the 
church reaching out in the world of today, taking up the 
various phases of mission work. 

Each girl kept a notebook with her personal notes, 
assignments, charts, maps, etc. Each week they received 
mimeographed sheets giving the main points of the lesson 
and the assignment. There was each week a certain amount 
of required reading which all did and which served as a point 
of departure for the discussions. ‘Then there was collateral 
reading for reports. Two or three reports were made each 
week, so each girl reported about once a month. These 


* Reported by Margaret E. Ripley, teacher, Phillips Con- 
gregational Church School, Watertown, Massachusetts. 


274 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


ten-minute reports were such things as book reports on The 
Friar of Wittenberg, Quo Vadis, etc., accounts of medieval 
painting and architecture, the different kinds of friars, and 
biographies of the great characters. By way of review the 
class worked out some very good charts and maps, which 
were copied and included in their notebooks. 

Because they were studying something they really 
wanted to know, and because each girl was studying with 
the idea of being able to tell the other girls something worth 
while, they worked very hard and gained more information 
than could otherwise have been imparted by the teacher. 


44. A BOOK OF PRAYERS! 


In a class of Senior girls in high school the suggestion 
was made that each Sunday one of the girls should offer the 
closing prayer. This was done in rotation. The prayer 
was to carry over some idea developed in the previous 
lesson. At the end of the year these were bound in a little 
booklet constituting a real book of prayers for the girls. 
The following prayers center about the closing years of 
Paul’s life: 


Dear heavenly Father, give us the strength and will-power 
of Paul. Reveal in our minds a definite object toward which we 
will always work. Such an aim and desire that gave Paul the 
strength and fire to accomplish what he did. Forgive all our 
excuses for shirking in your work and put a spark into our hearts 
to do great things for you. In the name of Jesus Christ our 
Savior, Amen. 


Dear God, we are fully joyous to be Christians. Let us be 
cheerful Christians and truly industrious. Help us to balance 
our moments of insight with humble sturdy service. We are 


™ Reported by Helen Bailey, teacher, First Baptist Church 
School, Newton Centre, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS Dik 


filled with right intentions; guide us in fitting them into our 
everyday life. Be patient with a slow scholar. You alone know 
the earnestness and love in each one of us. We have so many 
perplexities, yet we know that thou art our great Friend. In thy 
name we ask everything, Amen. 


Dear Father, we thank thee for girlhood. All its joys and 
hopes and freedom we owe to thee. Help us to take the responsi- 
bilities as well as the opportunities that it brings. Dear Father, 
we are so very thoughtless and foolish sometimes. Forgive us. 
We need so much thy dear, ever constant presence, thy help and 
loving understanding. Help us to grow into the full measure of 
womanhood. And now we ask thee for something girls can have 
as well as women—big hearts. May we love our fellows whole- 
heartedly and sincerely and do all that is in our power to help 
them and to make life worth living for them. In Christ’s dear 
name we ask this, Amen. 


Dear Father of all mankind, forgive us for the wrong things 
we have done and for the things that we should have done, but 
have left undone. When we come to the end of our lives, may we 
feel that we have done someone some good, and that we have 
fought for our ideals. Help us to feel the need of serving thee. 
Oh, Lord, help us to be strong so that if we are called upon to 
endure trials as Paul did, we may be ready for them. Trusting 
in thee for help and strength we ask thee, Amen. 


Our Father, who art the Giver of every good and perfect gift, 
we thank thee above everything else for the gift of thy Son, Jesus 
Christ, and we wish to renew our loyalty to him on this, our last 
Sunday together this year. We thank thee for the opportunity 
we have had this year of studying the life of one of thy faithful 
servants; may the impulses for good which we have received find 
fruition in active, loving service. And now, as we humbly bow 
before thee, may we individually and sincerely reconsecrate our 
lives to the service of him who died that we might live. In 
Christ’s name we ask it, Amen. 


276 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


This method helped the girls to form the habit of prayer. 
It also resulted in more thoughtful prayers in which the 
girls faced their own problems and made present-day 
application of the principles discovered in the experience of 
Paul. The fact that they preserved their prayers in book 
form for future_use will aid in fixing and recalling the ideas 
gained, while the fact that the book was a co-operative 
enterprise drew the girls closer together in their devotional 
life. 


45. HOW SIX HIGH-SCHOOL BOYS WROTE 
“CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP IN 
HIGH SCHOOL’: 


A group of six boys, representing the two upper classes 
of the Hartford High School were appointed to select a 
discussion course to be used by the Hi-Y Club during the 
winter. After a week of deliberation—during which time 
they investigated some half-dozen courses—they returned 
with the statement that they could not find a course suffi- 
ciently adapted to the problems of high-school boys and 
yet containing enough Bible study to be interesting. 

Faced with the necessity of having a course and knowing 
that these alert and deeply interested boys knew what they 
wanted, the writer put it up to them as strongly as he knew 
how: ‘‘Why don’t you write one yourselves ?” 

The boys accepted the challenge. Three started to 
work upon the outline immediately. In the meantime, the 
writer set to work to form an outline to be built around the 
Christian Citizenship Training Program which has been so 
fruitful in character-development. 

From time to time the group met to talk it over and 
when the outline was finally finished it contained much of 


* Reported by W. Waldo Shaver, state boys’ work secretary, 
Y.M.C.A., Omaha, Nebraska. 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 207 


the ‘‘square program” idea. In fact, when the course was 
finally published, a statement to the effect that it could be 
used in this connection was made in the introduction. 

Upon the completion of the outline the work of the group 
came under the direct supervision of the Hi-Y leader. Each 
boy was intrusted with a single chapter and as fast as it was 
finished it was used as a discussion topic of the Hi-Y Club. 
In this way it was revised, questioned, challenged, and 
rebuilt, and finally sent back to the boys for revision. In its 
new form it came back to the Hi-Y leader for the final 
checkup. 

At no time during the actual writing of the course was 
mention made of its probable publication. The original 
plan of mimeographing was carried out and enough copies 
made for the club. 

The boys soon realized that the writing of the course was 
not a walkaway. ‘There came a day when, with only seven 
chapters partly finished, the group held a meeting, in 
preparation for disbanding for the summer. They had 
secured vacation jobs in widely scattered places over New 
England. Three months is a long time to a high-school boy. 
The “gang” would undoubtedly undergo a change and a 
continuance of the project would be doubtful. 

The necessity for keeping the project alive caused the 
formation of the ‘“‘Round Robin” plan. A schedule was 
made and each boy was given a definite part of the work 
to be completed during his morning-watch period. Upon 
completion it was to be forwarded to the next boy and finally 
all the material was to be sent in by the middle of August. 
At the beginning of the vacation a letter was started around 
the circuit with the idea of keeping up the interest and hold- 
ing the group together. Each boy was provided with a 
small pocket Bible study course and all were to follow the 
daily readings simultaneously. All the letters urged the 


278 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


keeping of the morning quiet time. It was suggested also 
that fifteen minutes every morning on the Bible-study 
project would enable each boy to complete his chapter before 
the opening of school. This proved true in each case with 
the exception of one boy. 

The group returned home from the summer vacation 
refreshed and ready for the job. A keener sense of the 
responsibility of the task and their realization of the diffi- 
culty in carrying out a project of this kind could also be 
noticed. 

The key boys in the group, however, possessed the magic 
quality of keeping sweet and putting enthusiasm and 
perseverance into the rest by producing the finished chapters 
in mimeograph form and suggesting publication. 

The course was completed in October, one year and 
eight months from the time the group was challenged to 
undertake it. Within a year eighty-five high-school and 
church groups scattered throughout the country were using 
the course which the boys chose to call “‘ Christian Citizen- 
ship in High School.” Its publication by the George H. 
Doran Company in September, 1923, the indorsement by the 
Executive Committee of the Federal Council of Churches of 
Christ in America, and its being listed as a standard course 
by the International Committee of the Young Men’s Chris- 
tian Association give assurance of its being widely used. 

The results of the project are many and varied. The 
immediate result was perhaps the intensifying of the religious 
zeal of the group. ‘This was reflected by the growth of the 
High School Club in Hartford High School from about thirty 
members to an enrolment of over 600 in two years. 

Through special campaigns a cleaner and more whole- 
some attitude was developed throughout the entire school, 
causing men prominent in the affairs of the city to take a 
keener interest:in the work of the students. 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 279 


The members of the group who have entered college are 
taking an active part in the religious life of the campus. ‘Two 
have chosen courses to fit themselves for Christian work. 

The most positive effect, however, was in the boys 
themselves. Throughout the later stages of the work, a 
consciousness that they were preparing something for the 
high-school boys of the country began to grow upon them. 
When the Doran Company finally accepted the manuscript, 
the leaders and boys, at the suggestion of the boys them- 
selves, drew up a contract to turn all proceeds from the 
course, for all time to come, back into publishing cheaper 
editions of the work. 

The development of the altruistic spirit, however, is far 
overshadowed by the consciousness of a personal Christ and 
the adaptability of his teaching to the settling of the personal 
problems of high-school fellows. ‘The boys dedicated their 
work to ‘‘ Jesus Christ, our Hero and Best Friend.”’ 


46. THE BUDGET OF OUR CHURCH: 


It seemed that the young people, mostly of high-school 
age, knew little of the cost of carrying on the work of the 
church (Second Congregational, Holyoke, Massachusetts) 
and its various items of expense. (This is also true of young 
people elsewhere.) The following problem-project was 
planned with a purpose—to prompt them to consider this 
cost and increase their intelligent interest in their church; 
to increase their sense of ownership of, and responsibility for, 
their church; and, as a subordinate purpose, to cause them 
to snap out electric lights in the new parish house when no 
longer needed. A serious wastage in regard to lighting had 
prevailed since the parish house was opened. 


t Reported by Arthur W. Bailey, educational pastor, Con- 
gregational Church, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. 


280 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


After thorough announcement to the members of the 
young people’s society, their regular Sunday afternoon meet- 
ing on the day which began the Every-Member Canvass was 
devoted to working out this project. The attendants were 
divided into groups of four or five. Each selected its leader, 
and small tables, paper, and pencils were provided for each 
group. Each person prepared a statement of what he 
thought the budget of the church should be. After ten 
minutes each group prepared its own budget by careful com- 
parison and adjustment of the individual budgets. Decided 
interest and many surprises were apparent to the leader 
during this part of the process, which used ten minutes 
more. 

The group leaders then read to the whole group their 
budgets, and the items were put on the blackboard by the 
leader. Decided differences caused much thinking and con- 
siderable discussion. (The estimates for lighting varied 
from $200 to $4,700.) 

Out of the discussion there evolved a society statement 
of the church budget which was then compared with the 
actual budget for the year. Opportunity was given for 
expression by the members and these responses were for the 
most part such statements as, ‘‘I didn’t suppose it cost so 
much to light the building,” etc. A detailed statement of 
the cost per hour of lighting each important room in the 
parish house and the church was then read by the leader. 
The relative amounts for home expenses and missions caused 
some serious thinking. 

Some results: the young people learned some important 
facts; they grew in appreciation of the great business of 
carrying on the church work; they sensed their opportunity 
to help by conserving and by giving and earning money for 
their church; they worked out a budget with other people— 
practice in democratic co-operation. 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 281 


47. ORGANIZING A DISTRICT ASSOCIATION: 


At a Summer Conference of Young People (high-school 
age), held at Valley City, North Dakota, in June, 1923, there 
was a course in Congregational history and organization. 
The first four days’ work was conducted on the discussion 
basis. There was left for the last day the consideration of 
the present-day organization of the denomination within 
the state, and also the relation of the local and state pro- 
grams to the world-wide denominational program. 

Instead of leading the young people out by the question- 
and-answer method, it was decided to organize the class into 
a District Association. ‘The District Association is the unit 
corresponding to the Presbytery in the Presbyterian church, 
being made up of the churches and pastors within a certain 
section of the state. Practically none of the pupils knew 
anything about the organization, the purpose, or the type of 
meetings of the District Association. 

Several days in advance the class elected a business 
committee which was to prepare the program for the last 
day’s session. This committee conferred with the state 
superintendent and other state officials who were present on 
the grounds. Having found out for themselves what the 
organization and program of an association was like, they 
assigned certain parts to the young people who composed 
the class. 

When the day came, the first business was the election 
of moderator and scribe. These persons were then made 
conversant with their respective duties. The program 
offered by the business committee was accepted and the 
regular session was conducted with all seriousness and with 
an interest which no lecture on the subject could have 


Reported by Harry T. Stock, young people’s secretary, 
Congregational Education Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 


282 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


aroused. Everyone who had been assigned a part by the 
business committee had worked hard in preparing to do what 
was expected of him. 

The opening service of worship was conducted by two 
of the young people. Then followed such reports as are 
often made at the meetings of the District Association, 
these reports being given by young people who impersonated 
the various officers. Among them were the following: 


The State Superintendent—indicating what he had done 
during the year and what was in prospect for the current year. 

The Woman’s Foreign Board—reporting upon some of the 
emergencies faced during the year and showing what the responsi- 
bility of each local church was. . 

The State Young People’s Worker—presenting plans already 
undertaken and those contemplated. 

The Director of the Apportionment Campaign—indicating 
the state’s quota for denominational benevolences; the amount 
the local churches in this association were to raise, etc. 


Various business matters were then considered and 
acted upon, such as the acceptance of the quota of the 
apportionment, plans for raising the money, etc. 

There was present at the Conference a theological stu- 
dent who had a missionary field during the summer. He was 
not ordained. Part of the work of district associations is to 
consider the fitness of candidates for ordination. The com- 
mittee had considered the case of this man and recommended 
that he be examined by the association for ordination. 

The candidate gave a statement of his Christian experi- 
ence, of his beliefs, and of his preparation for the ministry. 
After this, the young people were offered the privilege of 
examining him still further. A number of them asked him 
questions concerning matters of belief, and with reference to 
his idea of the work of a minister. After considering his 
replies they voted to proceed to the ordination. They did 


PROJECTS OF, SENIORS 283 


not carry it to the extent of actually going through the 
process of ordination, but all of the preliminary steps were 
taken. 

The results were very apparent. It was the best 
possible method of impressing them with the organization 
of the District Association and the relation of that unit to 
the church at large. Remarks were afterward made by 
pastors in which the opinion was expressed that this simple 
project gave these young people much more information 
about the organizations of the church than many of the 
deacons in their local fields had gained during many years of 
connection with their denomination. 


48. A WORLD-SERVICE PROJECT? 


In planning for the year’s work with ninety-five high 
school girls in a self-governing department, six plans for 
projects were presented in detail and the girls were allowed 
to make their choice. Not only was each plan definitely 
explained, but a personal appeal was made for the finished 
piece of work by someone who actually needed this particular 
thing. Each girl, after a week’s deliberation, handed in 
her name with first and second choices designated. The 
voting showed little interest in two of the enterprises so that 
four groups were finally formed. 

The most popular project was the world-service project, 
which was presented by a young missionary just leaving the 
church for her introductory work in Japan. The fact that 
she would first have to learn the language and would, per- 
haps for a few years, be somewhat handicapped by her 
ignorance of the tongue, made her appeal for an illustrated 
story of “‘The Life of Christ” very graphic. She told of 

t Reported by Mrs. Arthur Raymond, superintendent, high- 


school girls’ department, First Congregational Church, Oak 
Park, Illinois. 


284 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


the dearth of books and pictures pertaining to Bible stories 
and made the girls feel that a book made by them would be 
valuable. The class which adopted this enterprise of service 
was taught by a sister of the missionary, and her letters as 
she traveled abroad, her first impressions, her struggle with 
the language, were shared constantly with the girls. 

At first, books descriptive of Japan and its people were 
studied, such as The Leaven in Japan, Japan on the Upward 
Trail, and The Honorable Japanese Fan. A map of Japan 
was hung in their room, and all of the mission schools were 
marked with colored crayons. A Japanese village was made 
by the girls and presented to the junior department. A 
dialogue between a Japanese mother and her daughter was 
worked out and put on as a program before the other high- 
school classes. The dialogue illustrated the conservative 
view of old Japan and the modern ambitions of the younger 
generation. At Christmas time each girl made a book using 
the ten Perry pictures which she liked most, writing opposite 
each picture a simple explanation. These were mailed to 
Japanese girls with whom they corresponded. 

After Christmas all worked together on one book called 
The Life of Christ. Forbush’s Boy’s Life of Christ, Dean 
Hodges’ When the King Came, and other books of this kind 
were used as sources. The incidents in the life of Christ 
were studied and presented by the girls on Sunday. During 
the week each girl wrote in her simplest style the story told 
the week before. The best version was selected by the 
teacher and the girl whose version was chosen had the honor 
of writing her story in the book. Unusual illustrations were 
found and each story had at least one picture, some of them 
many. The book when completed was dedicated to Miss 
Babcock, the missionary in Japan, and sent to her. 

The teacher was well prepared to lead this group, having 
read most of the books. Much of the material needed for 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 285 


posters, maps, and the illustrated book was put before the 
girls from the first. Each Sunday the class, which numbered 
twenty, was divided, half of them sitting around a large 
table where the handwork was carried on, the other half in an 
outer circle, taking part in the discussion or in turn present- 
ing to all a prepared book review or story.: The book used 
for The Life of Christ was a blank bound book or “dummy”’ 
which may be bought from any publisher, but the ideal book 
should be made from binding to cover decorations by the 
girls. 

In an evaluation it can be frankly said that the project 
method has doubled the interest and brought forth, for 
teachers as well as pupils, more study and deeper devotion. 
Sentence prayers in class have developed more naturally, 
as the girls all feel they have something very definite to pray 
for. We have discovered in the past that high-school 
students have an overfilled program and that time for the 
study of a church-school lesson is never found. With the 
project method the incentive is so great that almost every 
student manages somehow to find the time. Thus we have 
greater interest, deeper devotion, larger results, and last 
but not least, a bond between the teacher and the members 
of the class which is invaluable, for they feel that together 
they are accomplishing something for God’s Kingdom. 


49. A HOME-SERVICE PROJECT" 


Note.—To understand the school situation which made the 
following enterprise possible, read the first paragraph of the pre- 
ceding description. 


Two well-known members of the First Church, Miss 
Margaret Beard and Miss Frederica Beard, both teachers at 


™ Reported by Grace E. Mayer-Oakes, formerly director of 
religious education, First Congregational Church, Oak Park, 
Illinois. 


286 Tuer PrRojECT PRINCIPLE 


the Montgomery Industrial Institute, a school for colored 
girls at Montgomery, Alabama, gave the point of contact 
and initial interest. After consultation with the director of 
religious education, Miss Frederica Beard during the 
worship period of the girls’ department pictured in a way 
full of human interest the struggle of Negro girls in the South 
for an education. She spoke especially of the dearth of 
suitable material with heroic and moral appeal for a reading- 
class of fifth-grade girls and suggested that some members 
of the girls’ department might like to interest themselves in 
these girls. 

Those who chose this project decided to make several 
books under the title of Heroes of Service. The first step 
was to secure an understanding of the whole racial back- 
ground, so the group started the study of the home mission 
textbook, In the Vanguard of a Race. 

Soon came an S.O.S. call from Miss Beard, ‘‘ We came to 
the word ‘canoe’ in our reading lesson today. None of the 
girls knew what it meant. They have never seen even a 
rowboat. Could you send us a picture of a canoe?” They 
could. That week the girls met to make up a scrapbook, 
entitled Modes of Transportation, showing all kinds, from 
an elephant to an airplane. The response from the negro 
girls came in the shape of a “‘Guess What” box containing 
southern products. Accompanying this was a note, saying 
“Can you guess what they are? What do you girls do when 
it snows?” The contents of the box our girls fastened to 
cardboard and labeled—cotton, moss, peanut vines, etc. 
This occupied one week-day meeting. ‘Then for a couple of 
weeks they were busy accumulating pictures of snow scenes, 
and making scrapbooks of winter sports. 

Now came the annual Interchurch Girls’ Conference. 
Some of the First Church girls had become acquainted with 
Rev. Harold Kingsley, director of Negro work in the North 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 287 


for the Congregational churches, at the Missionary Educa- 
tion Conference at Lake Geneva the previous summer. “If 
only the girls could get to know a real live intellectual 
Negro like him!”’ said one of the girls. ‘‘Let’s have him 
speak at the Girls’ Conference.”’ The week of the Confer- 
ence, Mr. Kingsley’s church at Cleveland burned to the 
ground. Our project was now reaching all of the church 
girls in the community. Fifty dollars was raised to outfit a 
girls’ dressing-room in the new church house in Cleveland. 

‘““Why do colored girls use rouge and powder, straighten 
their hair and apparently try to look white?” asked one 
critical young lady of Miss Beard. ‘‘Perhaps,” was the 
reply, “‘it is because they have only white ideals of beauty 
set before them. Why, do you know, you people never think 
of sending us anything but white dolls at Christmas time.” 
Right there was born the Christmas service project for the 
entire department. Such a search as there was to find 
pretty colored dolls! Such excitement when a girl discovered 
a batch of them in Chicago and phoned wildly to the director, 
“T’ve found them. Shall I bring them out?” And fifty 
colored dolls were dressed and sent to the primary depart- 
ment of Miss Beard’s school. 

Then came the fire which destroyed one of the main 
buildings at the Montgomery Industrial Institute. “‘We’ll 
have to do more than make scrapbooks now,”’ said one of the 
girls with tears in her eyes. Again the whole girls’ depart- 
ment joined in the presentation of two plays and over $200 
was contributed to the rebuilding of the school. 

Commencement time was approaching. The first 
colored girl to graduate from the local high school was 
adopted by the girls of this project group. She was an 
accomplished musician, and was invited to play at the Girls’ 
Conference. Someone discovered that she was anxious to 
go to college. Mr. Kingsley was in need of a summer 


288 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


worker. The Congregational Sunday School Extension 
Society sent out college students as summer workers. If the 
church school sent $300 to the Extension Society, one of our 
regular benevolences, they would send our Oak Park girl to 
assist Mount Zion Church in Cleveland. We would thus 
be helping an accredited society, enabling a colored girl to 
pay her way through school, lighten the burden of our friend, 
Mr. Kingsley, and bring joy to the hearts of little Negro 
children in a big city. 

The junior and high-school boys’ and girls’ departments 
set about raising the money. ‘The effort culminated in the 
Children’s Day program, when the girl herself told a story 
showing the work of the Extension Society. It was a 
moment of triumph, indeed, when she stood before the 
school hand in hand with the daughter of the woman whom 
years ago her own mother had accompanied north as a 
maid, and received from her lips her commission sending her 
forth as our ambassador to carry our love to the little chil- 
dren of a city’s slums. 

In the meantime, the books, Heroines of Service, were 
growing. ‘They contained the lives of some noble colored 
women, of Florence Nightingale, Harriet Beecher Stowe, 
Alice Freeman Palmer, Ruth, Esther, and Miriam, and many 
others. Heroines of the Faith in the “Scribner Series” and 
Lives Worth Living by Peabody were used as source books. 

Note the scope of this project. Besides this real instruc- 
tion and inspiration, it grew to touch all members of the 
girls’ department, then a large part of the church school, the 
church itself, and finally all of the girls in the community. 
“What did you learn from this project ?” one of the girls 
was asked. ‘‘So many things,’ came the enthusiastic 
reply, ‘‘but especially this—if colored girls only had a 
chance, there would be just as many great colored women as 
there are great white women—if not more.” 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 289 


50. OUR CHURCH’S WORK AROUND 
THE WORLD? 


The high-school department of the church school of 
United Church, Oberlin, Ohio, is organized with a council 
consisting of one delegate elected from each class, together 
with one of the adult leaders. This council plans the details 
of the department’s work, and submits the principal plans 
to the entire group for discussion and ratification. 

At the beginning of the year 1922-23 the council dis- 
cussed this question: How shall we recommend that our 
money be used this year? The previous year the depart- 
ment had selected a different interest every three months, 
and it was suggested that the same plan be continued. 
Another suggestion was made to the effect that, since the 
majority of the group were members of the church, it might 
be well to give to all of the benevolence interests of the 
church, for the entire year, and at the same time to try to 
learn more about what these interests are. After some 
discussion the latter suggestion was agreed upon as the 
council’s recommendation. 

Shortly afterward, at the business session held in con- 
nection with the annual banquet of the department, one of 
the girls of the council presented this recommendation, and 
it was approved. The decision was thus reached to use all 
of the offerings of the year for those outside enterprises 
which the church is supporting, through its regular denom- 
inational machinery. 

The next problem for the council to solve had to do with 
the best method of finding out more definitely about these 
various lines of work which the church was helping, and in 
which the department, too, was now co-operating. After 


t Reported by John Leslie Lobingier, educational pastor, 
United Church, Oberlin, Ohio. 


290 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


some discussion the council voted to take a few minutes every 
Sunday morning, as part of the department’s opening service 
of worship, for talks by the boys and girls themselves. These 
were selected for about two months at a time, just as the 
leaders for the. worship period were appointed. Simple 
mimeographed programs such as the following were struck 
off and distributed: 


THE CHURCH SCHOOL 
UNITED CHURCH 
OBERLIN OHIO 


THE HIGH-SCHOOL DEPARTMENT 
Schedule for the opening service of worship, Sundays at 9:45 A.M. 


November 19: Leader: Mary Wright 
Four-minute talk—Harvey Webster: 
‘What Our Church Is Doing in the Moun- 
tains of the South” 
November 26: Leader: William Flammer 


Four-minute talk—Marjorie Richards: 
‘“What Our Church Is Doing in Africa” 


December 3: Leader: John Rodgers 
Four-minute talk—Marianne Wetzel: 
““What Our Church Is Doing for the American 
Indians” 


December 10: Leader: Marguerite Griffiths 


Four-minute talk—Douglas Rugh: 


“What Our Church Is Doing in China”’ 
etc. 


One of the members of the council was charged with the 
responsibility of reminding the speaker each week, and those 
asked to make the talks did so, with only one or two excep- 
tions during the year. Week after week they came to the 


PROJECTS OF SENIORS 291 


educational pastor, or to someone else, for suggestions, or to 
secure books or magazines that might furnish material on 
their particular topics. 

As the year progressed one or two classes within the 
group showed their interest in some particular cause that 
had been presented by doing some special piece of service. 
The senior girls, for example, met once a week for eight or 
ten weeks to make garments for the children of a certain 
hospital in China. 

This whole project had genuine value for the pupils 
themselves. About 90 per cent of them were church mem- 
bers, and it made their church membership more intelligent. 
It led them to a fairly comprehensive view (elementary and 
superficial though it was) of the work of the church in other 
parts of this country and in all the world. It played its part 
in developing the attitude of friendliness for other peoples, 
and increased their desire to show that friendliness in practi- 
cal ways. It gave the young people a deeper interest in the 
church school, the church, and the work of the church, 
because the program was not superimposed upon them, but 
was felt to be their own in every way. 


SECTION VI 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 


51. A CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP-TRAINING 
PROJECT: 


The young people’s department of a large church in a 
residential section of the city of Chicago conceived the idea of 
a concerted effort on the part of all young people’s groups 
of a given ward toward the securing of legislation and the 
election of city officers who would stand for law enforce- 
ment, temperance Jegislation, and civic housecleaning. 

The matter was thoroughly discussed in a series of 
department sessions, made up of the young men’s and young 
women’s classes. ‘The problems of organization for the task, 
the objective to be accomplished, and the methods of 
accomplishing it were all considered. Representatives were 
appointed to meet with representatives of other young 
people’s departments of the several churches. 

These representative committees carried the project 
back to their respective young people’s groups and after a 
study of the problem by all the churches, plans were made 
to carry out the enterprise. 

A certain number of precincts within the ward served by 
the co-operating churches were districted for the several 
co-operating groups. Each young people’s department was 
assigned a section. They then organized themselves to 
study the church membership of the assigned territory. 
This involved a study of the membership of all the 


Reported by Ivan S. Nowlan, general secretary, Mass- 
achusetts Sunday School Association, Boston, Massachusetts. 


292 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 203 


co-operating churches. The young people went out two- 
and-two in their visitation campaign, going usually in pairs 
that represented different political parties. Their aim was 
to put party politics in the background and appeal to the 
voting church membership of the territory to vote at the 
primaries for men who would stand for law enforcement, 
temperance, and civic housecleaning. 

Going two-and-two, representing different parties, one 
of the team was prepared to speak in the interests of the 
party represented in the home visited and both co-operated 
in urging the bringing out of the best persons as candidates 
for office. 

In addition to a study of the church rolls, the teams 
were obliged to study carefully the voters’ lists and to see 
where persons were not listed who should be. Attention was 
given to interesting the Christian citizens in the elections. 
The territory was completely canvassed, pledges secured, 
and a great deal of enthusiasm generated for voting as 
Christians. 

The result of the campaign was that the community was 
actually awakened by the young people to a realization of 
the significance of the impending elections, and foundations 
were laid for civic housecleaning. The young people, of 
course, stuck by their task right through the elections. It 
is to be noted throughout that the canvass was not made on 
party lines, but to secure the finest type of nominees for the 
parties represented and to keep in the forefront certain 
civic legislation that was urgently needed. 

It is evident that in addition to interesting older citizens 
in their Christian civic duties, these young people received a 
very definite training in Christian citizenship through this 
project. The several experiences connected with it not 
only opened their eyes to many facts, but resulted in new 
attitudes and specific habits of acting as good citizens. 


204 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


92.. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE’S INSTITUTES: 


At the initiative of the pastor, Rev. Vaughan Dabney, in 
December, 1921, the young people of Second Church in 
Dorchester, Massachusetts, held a Young People’s Institute 
to answer the question, ‘“‘What Is Our Place in the Life of 
the Church?” The Institute was planned and conducted 
by the Young People’s Council which had only recently been 
organized. This body was composed of some fourteen 
members elected annually from each young people’s class and 
society including two members from the senior department. 
In addition to these the pastor, director of religious educa- 
tion, church visitor, and church secretary were made 
permanent members. ‘The formation of this council was a 
first step in the program to give unity and significance to 
the activities of the young people. 

To this organization was delegated the responsibility 
for projecting and carrying out the Young People’s Institute. 
It was planned for the second week-end of December, begin- 
ning Friday night and closing with the evening service in 
the church auditorium on Sunday. ‘To insure the success of 
this new venture Rev. William S. Beard, of New York City, 
was invited to become its leader and deliver the addresses, a 
responsibility which he admirably fulfilled. The opening 
service was held Friday evening with an exceedingly 
effective address by Mr. Beard. Saturday afternoon six 
conferences took place. Such subjects as ““What Is the 
Matter with the Young Man of Today ?” were discussed. A 
supper featured by songs, cheers, and after-dinner speeches 
followed the conferences. Late Sunday afternoon came the 
communion service, for young people only, administered by 


Reported by Edwin E. Aiken, Jr., director of religious 
education, Second Church (Congregational) in Dorchester, 
Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 295 


the ministers of the church and Mr. Beard. This was the 
most impressive part of the entire program. The regular 
Sunday evening service was made a part of the Institute and 
Mr. Beard delivered the closing address. The attendance 
at the Institute numbered 147 young people between the 
ages of approximately sixteen and twenty-five. 

The young people played a very large part in directing 
the Institute. Adult leadership was, of course, necessary 
to deliver the addresses and lead the conferences. The 
council had the advantage of guidance and advice from its 
older members. Other than that, however, everything was 
in the hands of the young people. They constituted the 
program committee, the supper committee, and the com- 
mittee on printing. They furnished the presiding officers 
for every meeting and conference, provided the music, and 
planned and carried out the dramatized scripture selection. 
At the communion service four young men acted as deacons. 
The young people upon whom all this responsibility fell 
accepted it with an enthusiasm and wholeheartedness that 
made the Young People’s Institute what it unquestionably 
was, a great success. 

A year later a second Institute was held, under the 
direction of the same council. The program was similar to 
that of the first Institute although there were a few changes. 
Having gained experience through conducting one Institute, 
the council felt it would not be necessary to ask anyone to 
be the conference leader. The number of conferences was 
reduced from six to three. A new feature was the printing 
on the back of the program of a brief ‘“‘Who’s Who,” intro- 
ducing the speakers and conference leaders. The com- 
munion service again became the most solemn and impressive 
hour in the program. The second Young People’s Institute 
was brought to an end at the Sunday evening service with an 
address, ‘‘American Youth and the World’s Need” by Dr. 


296 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Francis E. Clark. Over one hundred young people attended 
this second Institute, which had now become a permanent 
feature of the church life. 

The third Young People’s Institute was held in Decem- 
ber, 1923. Responsibility for its direction fell to a new 
council. The members of the new council proved them- 
selves worthy successors of those who were retiring. After 
careful discussion the subject, “‘What Are Our Social Obliga- 
tions as Christians ?”’ was agreed upon for the Institute. In 
its general outline the program was identical with that of the 
previous Institute. A new feature was a young people’s 
choir of forty-eight voices which took part in the Sunday- 
evening service. The members of the choir wore the regu- 
lar choir gowns and conducted themselves like the church 
choir even to the processional and recessional. As in other 
years the high-water mark of the Institute was reached 
at the communion service. No other part of the pro- 
gram touches the heights as does this. The attendance at 
this Institute numbered approximately one hundred young 
people. 

Have these Institutes made a lasting contribution ? 
Emphatically, ves. They have given the young people a 
unity and a consciousness of their place in the church 
hitherto lacking. ‘They have offered a channel of expression 
for creative activity which has itself brought new life. They 
have paved the way for the consolidation of two compara- 
tively sterile and ineffective young people’s societies into 
one vitalized and compact organization with a real program. 
And finally, they have given a vision of service which for 
three successive summers has sent someone of the young 
people into the field of Sunday-school extension work. The 
test of anything is always its fruits. By their fruits the 
Young People’s Institutes of Second Church in Dorchester 
have been abundantly justified. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 207 


53. CORRELATING THE RELIGIOUS 
AGENCIES OF A COLLEGE! 


Elon College has always been friendly to all religious 
agencies. Accordingly on our campus are found the 
Y.M.C.A., the Y.W.C.A., Christian Endeavor, the Sunday 
school, the church, the Volunteer Band, and a Ministerial 
Student Association. Each of these organizations felt that 
it must have at least one group meeting weekly, and the 
college being small, with less than four hundred students, it 
had become a point of honor for all to attend every group 
meeting and also for each organization to endeavor to 
incorporate locally the plans and programs handed down 
from the headquarters offices. Each organization, too, had 
to have its weekly offering, its study program, its committee 
work, and the like. 

The consequence was that students were busy keeping 
the complicated, competitive machinery going. A class in 
religious education made a survey of the situation, dis- 
covered the points of duplication, and decided to draft a 
constitution for a co-operative agency, which should con- 
serve all the good of every organization, eliminate lost 
motion, and have time for some really constructive and 
worth-while service work in the community. The evil of 
too many organizations was to be solved by another organ- 
ization. Strange and paradoxical though it be, the solution 
of our present situation in the colleges appears to be discover- 
able along this line. 

This new organization was styled the Religious Activi- 
ties Organization. Its membership is not individual, but 
organizational. The constituent members are the organiza- 
tions mentioned above. Others from time to time may be 


* Reported by William A. Harper, president, Elon College, 
North Carolina. 


298 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


elected. The R.A.O. was given authority to control through 
its cabinet and committees all the religious life of the campus. 
The cabinet consists of the four officers of the R.A.O. and 
there are six committees, each of six members or one for each 
constituent organization, with the college pastor and the 
professor of religious education as consulting members. 

These committees are as follows: Group Meetings, 
Study Courses, Social Activities, Budget, Membership, and 
Community Services. The R.A.O. is now in its third year 
and is stronger with the student body than ever before. The 
reason for this growing favor is to be found in Article VII of 
the constitution, which describes the duties of these com- 
mittees and is as follows: 


Group Meetings —This committee shall arrange for as many 
prayer and discussion groups and other types of meetings as in 
its judgment is wise. There shall be at least one monthly public 
service for all the groups and all group meetings shall be held at 
the same time. There shall be prayer and discussion groups as 
follows: Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A., Christian Endeavor, Student 
Volunteer Band, and Ministerial Association. Other groups may 
from time to time be provided. Whenever any group numbers 
more than forty it shall be divided. 

Study Courses.—This committee shall construct a program of 
Christian themes for the year and arrange with the Sunday-school 
superintendent to have them given in the college Sunday-school 
classes. 

Budget.—This committee shall canvass the student body to 
raise the budget submitted by them for the constituent religious 
bodies and adopted for the year for each, using the weekly envelope 
system of collection for the pledges secured. 

Membership—This committee shall look after securing 
members, attendance, and other such items as naturally fall to 
such a body. 

Community Service—This committee shall articulate its 
work with the Department of Religious Education of the College, 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 209 


assisting in every way possible, particularly in the week-day 
religious work, the supervised play, the Boy Scouts, and Camp 
Fire Girls now being conducted for the Elon graded school pupils, 
and also taking part in the work for the Negroes and the Christian 
Orphanage to be inaugurated, and in such other work as may from 
time to time be instituted. 


The one disquieting force has been the traveling secre- 
taries of the national organizations who cannot feel satisfied 
that their own programs are not fully carried out in detail. 
So far our R.A.O. has successfully maintained its right 
and duty to modify these programs. Colleges need the 
co-operation of the general boards in solving the problem of 
agency correlation, and I suspect as more of them gird them- 
selves for this task this co-operation will be more generously 
forthcoming. Once correlation of agencies has been tried, 
it will be difficult to return to the competitive state. 


54. A DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS 
EDUCATION SERVING THE 
COMMUNITY: 


The sciences cannot be properly taught without labora- 
tories. Religious education courses, too, need laboratory 
facilities. The student life of the campus and the com- 
munity religious needs offer colleges their opportunity in 
this direction. Students in religious education without such 
opportunity to test by experience the theories they discuss 
are living in hot houses. We have too much religion of the 
hothouse type. 

Realizing the situation, the department of religious 
education in Elon College co-operates throughout with the 
Religious Activities Organization (for discussion of which see 


t Reported by William A. Harper, president, Elon College, 
North Carolina. 


300 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


preceding description), and uses its students for certain 
definite religious, social, and recreational purposes in the 
college community. 

A word should be said about the courses offered in this 
department.. They are six in number and a student major- 
ing in the department may elect all six of them. He must 
take at least four. These courses are entitled: “The 
Christian Home,” “The Church in the Modern World,’’ 
“The Curriculum and Pr zram. of the Church School,” 
“Organization and Admiiustration of Religious Education,” 
‘“‘History and Principles of Religious Education,” and “A 
Course in Leadership-Training.”’ The laboratory work is de- 
signed to illustrate the classroom instruction in these courses. 

The first laboratory achievement of this department was 
a survey of the religious life of the campus and the creation 
of the Religious Activities Organization. 

In the community, following a survey, a Week-Day 
Religious School was organized for the town graded and 
high school. This school has but one hour a week for 
religious instruction and the curriculum is in the experi- 
mental stage. No textbooks are used by the pupils. The 
session each week consists of a brief period of worship, a 
story period by classes, and a recreational period of thirty 
minutes or more under supervision following the hour session 
of the school. The superintendent of the graded school 
dismisses all pupils one hour earlier on Thursday and 
practically all remain. No school credit is asked for. 

The play of the graded-school children during the recess 
periods is also regularly supervised by students in the depart- 
ment of religious education. 

There is an orphanage for white children in the com- 
munity. Our next step was to incorporate them into the 
plan of week-day religious instruction by conducting a 
kindergarten school of religious instruction there. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 301 


Then came a night school of religion for the colored adult 
population and a week-day afternoon school for the colored 
children at their grammar school. The pastors and teachers 
of the colored people have entered heartily with us into these 
plans. One reason for this is the class in the college Sunday 
school taught by Dean Hook on “The Race Problem,”’ 
where colored leaders occasionally speak and proper ideals 
are inculcated. 

On Sunday the students, 4q;the department of religious 
education assist in the village-‘sunday school, while some 
of them are regular teachers. This, however, is not especi- 
ally encouraged, as in the summer it leaves the classes 
unprovided for. On Sunday also, a-Junior Church is main- 
tained for the community children up to twelve. A country 
Sunday school near by is now being taken over, and the 
school will be manned by students of the department, while 
the college ministerial students will furnish preaching. This 
Sunday school is non-denominational, but promises to 
develop into a permanent organization around which a 
church will naturally group itself. 

This experiment has convinced us that there should be a 
laboratory building for religious education on each Christian 
college campus. We have succeeded in convincing a liberal 
layman that we are right in this desire, and he has decided 
to erect for us a Christian Education Building, the first of 
its kind, says Dr. Walter S. Athearn, in the country. This 
building will house the social and voluntary religious life 
of the students, provide facilities for the Week-Day Religious 
School and for the community Sunday School, for the 
Junior Church, the community Boy Scouts, and Camp Fire 
Girls, and such other local social, religious, benevolent, and 
recreational organizations as can be incorporated in the 
laboratory scope of the department. In the summer a 
Summer School of Religious Education will use this building 


302 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


and acommunity Daily Vacation Bible School of three weeks’ 
length is contemplated. 

The aim in all the department’s laboratory work is to 
pass impressions over into becoming expression and to give 
practical demonstration that the best religious instruction 
is found not in information but in life, in conduct, ultimately 
in Christian character. 


95. CHRISTIAN VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE? 


A very interesting series of talks and discussions on the 
various vocations took place in our church among our oldest 
boys last winter. 

A joint meeting of the two oldest classes of boys was 
called and it was suggested that they appoint a committee 
to arrange a “‘feed”’ for the evening of the meeting. 

After the “‘feed,’ which was a very good one, it was 
proposed that if the boys wanted it, they plan a series of 
meetings at which they should have a speaker for their guest 
at the dinner and the speaker in turn present to them 
his vocation, particularly in the light of its Christian 
possibilities. 

The suggestion met with the immediate approval of the 
boys and they appointed a committee from their own number 
to secure speakers and to make the plans for the dinners. 
There were four meetings of this sort and it is planned to 
continue this particular phase of our church-school work 
this winter. 

The four subjects discussed last winter were: “Printing 
and Lithography,” “Publishing,” “School Teaching,” and 
“The Ministry.” The most pleasing results apparent at 
the present time are the enthusiasm of the boys for this 


Reported by Herbert F. Stevenson, superintendent, 
Congregational Church School, Needham, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 303 


sort of thing and their earnest. discussion with the speakers 
of the problems involved in their choice of a life-work. 


96. THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S SUMMER 
CONFERENCE AS A PROJECT: 


The Fourth Annual Congregational Young People’s 
Summer Conference held at Pomona College, Claremont, 
California, July 2-9, 1923, was built as a single project of 
young people’s work. It was an effort to get a representa- 
tive group of two hundred young people to discover a 
common Christian life, to study its principles, and to work 
out a common purpose. To this end the worship, study, 
recreation, and work of the conference were directed. 

The young people were organized into table groups of 
nine with an adult leader. This was the basic organization 
of the conference and a method of social education, inasmuch 
as, wherever possible, no two young people from the same 
church were put into the same group. Each group selected a 
representative to the cabinet which also included three 
members of the faculty and which dealt with all matters 
pertaining to the conduct of the conference. These groups 
also were the basis for the recreational and devotional work 
and for the carrying-out of the service program. 

The four study periods in the morning were devoted to 
graded courses in ‘‘Effective Methods in Young People’s 
Work in the Local Church,” a general course on ‘‘ The Mean- 
ing of Religion,” elective courses in the ‘‘ World-Wide 
Program of the Church” and another general course in 
“Vocational Guidance.”’ The problem-project method was 
used in each of these courses with the hope that through 
them the young people might find themselves as a working 

Reported by George T. Simons, director of religious 


education, Southern California Congregational Conference, 
Los Angeles, California. 


304 THe PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


unit in the local church and its world-wide program. ‘The 
recreational work in the afternoons, the life-work challenges 
of the educational ministry, the pastoral ministry, and the 
world-service ministry of the church in the evenings, and the 
entertainments were built with the idea of how the young 
people might Work out recreational programs in their own 
class and departmental groups in the local church, and as 
individuals and groups might be related to the larger ministry 
of the church. 

The entire week’s work culminated in the organization 
of a Congregational church in which the work of the week 
formed the basis. A modern church with its officers and 
various departments reporting a program which had been 
worked out in various class groups the preceding week, the 
joining of the nearest association of Congregational churches 
with the actual officials of the conference and association 
being present, the calling and reception to the pastor, and 
the general set-up of the entire program of the church’s 
work were features of this grand finale. 

The entire project was built upon Christianity as a 
movement, and the Christian life as a way of living, and its 
work a matter of social participation in life with the Chris- 
tian attitude, rather than simply the creation of the machin- 
ery of church organization and the set-up of so called 
‘“‘religious”’ activities. The conference then became a 
fellowship of youthful leaders in a modern Christian youth 
movement. 


57. DISCOVERING A PLAN OF LOCAL 
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION! 


A class studying organization of religious and moral 
education discovered that a multitude of movements were 


* Reported by Paul R. Stevick, professor of religious educa- 
tion, Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 305 


asking for a place and time in the life of the growing child. 
The question was raised: ‘‘Are all these organizations 
needed, or is it true, as some are saying, that there are too 
many organizations now ?” 

The first step toward finding the answer was to assign 
to each member of the group certain movements, for an 
inquiry into their historic occasion, the sort of religious or 
moral training they proposed to give, the ages (and sex) of 
adult leader and of follower, the form of organization, and 
other relevant items. 

‘Reports were brought in one by one until the field had 
been covered. Then a careful search was made for points 
of difference and similarity, for overlapping and for omis- 
sions when viewed from the standpoint of the child’s total 
need. 

Discussion revealed that the scheme of organization 
adapted to fit a given situation would depend upon the 
size of the community or congregation, the fundamental 
religious theory of those who did the planning, and 
other factors. (In the group were students of Jewish, 
Roman Catholic, and several varieties of Protestant ex- 
traction.) 

By common consent, each member of the group set 
about the making of a scheme of organization for his local 
situation. The various plans were then presented to the 
entire group for criticism and explanation. 

Net result—Each student had reached a definite, even 
though tentative, answer, to the question formulated at the 
beginning of the study, and each had a clear chain of reasons 
anchoring his conclusions, as well as a broader understanding 
and sympathy for the ideas of leaders in most of the impor- 
tant movements of the present. A number of the class went 
out and put their organization plans into actual practice in 
their own schools. 


306 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


58. IMPROVING CHAPEL SERVICE? 


A college class in the department of religious education 
had spent five periods in considering the theme of worship. 
The class discussion had been based upon observations in the 
local Sunday=school and reference-reading. Feeling the 
necessity of moving on to other problems, the teacher sug- 
gested that other students and the faculty might profit by 
a demonstration. The chapel service in this college, as in 
so many others, is a combination of pep meeting, social 
gathering, advertising time for college stunts, visitor’s lecture 
hour, and faculty exhortation, any and all of which ele- 
ments might be introduced by Scripture reading and prayer. 
Nearly every student and every member of the faculty 
realized the ineffectiveness of the situation from the stand- 
point of real worship. Most of them had long since given 
up the situation as hopeless. 

The suggestion that the class divide into six committees, 
each to provide for one worship service, met with a cordial 
response. ‘The committees set to work and for the last six 
weeks of the spring semester one program each week was 
entirely in the hands of the students. The problems of 
student life, patriotic days, and Mother’s Day furnished pro- 
gram themes. Each committee arranged its own program, 
provided for special music, prepared scripture readings and 
talks. The committee work was done out of class. The 
assistance of the teacher and others in the school was utilized. 
Sometimes a committee would ask for criticisms of the class 


on a proposed program before presenting it. In securing. 


participants, the committees used both their own members 
and others outside the class. 

The programs as carried out varied in quality. Some 
were very effective. At the next session of the class in 


t Reported by the author. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 307 


methods following the presentation of a program, fifteen or 
twenty minutes were given to judging it. This period of 
criticism was entered into by the class with great interest. 
In fact, so keenly did the students become aware of defects 
that even during the execution of the program some of them 
watched the instructor to see what he thought of mistakes 
made. ‘The criticism of one program had a marked effect 
upon the plans for those which followed. Such matters as 
the removal of the faculty from the platform seats, elimina- 
tion or reduction of unnecessary and distracting announce- 
ments, the quality of work exhibited in particular numbers, 
the worship value of the program as a whole, the response of 
the student body, points of failure and how they might be 
remedied, all came in for consideration. 

This series of projects had a number of values. They 
gave the class not only a clear understanding of the principles 
of worship, but considerable skill in actually planning and 
carrying out programs. The students discovered a wide 
variety of methods of producing a truly worshipful attitude. 
Just how.each element in a worship program makes its con- 
tribution to the whole received concrete treatment. Since 
these students were to take their places as lay-workers in 
their home churches, better methods were given wide dis- 
tribution. The conviction was developed that desired 
results in worship could be obtained if thoughtfully planned 
for. 

Certain values resulted for student life in general due to 
the fact that the projects gave an additional opportunity 
for the expression of student ideas. Training for public 
appearances, especially in religious meetings, a sense of 
responsibility for undertakings of such a character, and a 
realization of the democratic element in having the faculty 
and students worship on the same level, might also be listed 
as desirable outcomes. 


308 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


59. AN ENTERPRISE IN PLAY-WRITING 
AND PLAY-PRODUCTION: 


During the year 1922-23 the writer was asked to pre- 
pare a Bible-study textbook for the use of the Epworth 
League of the Methodist Episcopal church. As it happened 
to be the year in his cycle in which his advanced classes cov- 
ered the classic Hebrew prophets, he decided to combine his 
teaching work with his writing work, and prepare a brief 
course on Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and the Herald of the 
Restoration. 

Any Bible teacher realizes how difficult it is to make this 
subject interesting to young people of high-school age. As 
the book neared completion, in spite of all his efforts to 
lighten up its pages, the writer was continually oppressed 
with a sense of its deadly dulness, and what to do in order 
to make it a feasible course for adolescents was a question 
that constantly haunted him. Finally it occurred to him 
that if, in connection with the study of any given prophet, 
the class of young people in the church could be preparing to 
present a little playlet on that prophet, this might give the 
needed stimulus and thrill. 

Accordingly he took his advanced classes in the prophets 
into his confidence and asked them to write the playlets for 
him. They took up the work with peculiar avidity, and a 
number of plays were submitted, some of them in the writer’s 
opinion quite as good, if not better than those finally printed 
in the booklet, but either on account of the length or for some 
other reasons not chosen for printing. 

In all of the plays the person representing the prophet 
spoke only the words of Scripture. The other characters of 
the play and the words that they uttered were simply in- 
tended as a foil to bring out the Scripture message in its his- 


™ Reported by Rollin H. Walker, professor of English Bible, 
Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 309 


torical background. Much attention was paid to the task of 
bringing plenty of action across the stage so that the proph- 
et’s words might seem like sparks struck out from flint 
by the opposing and scornful populace. 

About this time another suggestion presented itself. 
The Sunday-evening service of Commencement week was 
beginning to be a real problem at the Ohio Wesleyan. 
The imported speakers did not have a respectable audience 
in the great chapel. And it occurred to the department of 
the English Bible that if it could present one or more of 
these biblical dramas, the problem of having a dignified 
religious service which at the same time would attract the 
audience might be solved. 

The department of oratory was called into consultation 
and these teachers kindly promised to co-operate in every 
way. One of the professors of oratory was appointed a 
committee to determine which of the dramas should be 
presented. He chose the one on Isaiah and the one on 
Jeremiah. In consultation with him a committee from the 
class was appointed to superintend the production of the 
plays. Fortunately a number of them had had special train- 
ing in play-production in connection with the department of 
oratory. Hence they took the responsibility and the burden 
entirely out of the hands of the busy professor of the English 
Bible, and entered upon the work with great eagerness. In 
order to bring out some students who had never had their 
chance in any of the public performances of the college, the 
cast was entirely confined to the class in the prophets. 
This gave it also the added advantage of being made up of 
persons enthusiastically committed to religion, and made it 
natural to open the rehearsals with prayer, and to conduct 
the whole affair as a religious enterprise. When the writer 
went behind the scenes Sunday evening just before the 
performance, he found that the little lady who was stage 


310 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


manager had gotten everybody connected with the play on 
his knees in prayer for the service. 

The audience was very large, and the religious impres- 
sion produced was profound, so deep indeed that the strictest 
Puritans in this Methodist school could not find it in their 
hearts to criticize the departure. 

Under the encouragement of the success of this enter- 
prise the department of oratory is offering in the second 
semester of the current year a course in the production of 
religious drama. They look to the students of the depart- 
ment of English Bible, however, to write the plays which 
they are to produce. 

Some of the playlets, written by the students and 
edited by Miss Helen Willcox, are published in a pamphlet 
under the title, Fearless Men, by the Methodist Book Con- 
cern, New York. The textbook on the prophets with which 
they are intended to be used in the churches is published 
by the same house under the title Men Unafraid: Four 
Pioneers of Prophecy. 


60. THE COMRADES OF THE WAY: 


That there seems to be in human nature an inexhaustible 
desire for ritual and pageantry is shown by the persistence 
and growth of the secret orders. The fact that this appeal 
is particularly strong during adolescence and gives therefore 
a fundamental basis for the training of young people has 
led recently to the establishment of junior fraternal societies 
by such orders as the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Knights 
of Columbus, and others. Using this love of ritual and 
symbolism, we are developing in.our church an organization 
known as the Comrades of the Way. 


Reported by Harry W. Kimball, pastor, Congregational 
Church, Needham, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 311 


This religious order derived its name from the fact that 
“The Way” is the earliest known name given to the Chris- 
tian faith. In its formation the pastor took the lead, but 
easily obtained the enthusiastic support of the young 
people. More and more their initiative has been aroused 
and as the organization grows they are taking an increasingly 
larger part in all of its activities. 

Since our church school] offers abundant opportunity for 
social and service activities, thus far the work of the chapter 
has been largely confined to their Sunday-evening meeting. 
In the meeting there is an opening and closing ritual, an 
Admission Step which takes one hour to give and requires 
that twenty members of the chapter participate in it. The 
ritual furnishes a background for the meetings which are 
conducted with a schedule of business and then usually a 
talk or debate which leads to discussion. Speakers are 
selected by a special committee. The purpose has been to 
make every meeting one in which a large number of the 
members participate in a natural manner. 

The subjects for discussion are selected with particular 
reference to the things about which young people are 
thinking. Recently such questions have been considered 
as: What is the right use of Sunday? What is the Christian 
standard of ethics for students in their high-school life? Is 
it practicable to try to measure one’s conduct on a percentage 
scale? Should community activities be carried on in the 
separate churches or in a community house? Should we 
use the Christian flag rather than the American flag in our 
service? Should we give help to the people of Germany ? 

The last question arose because a former member of the 
society, now spending a year in Germany, wrote to the 
chapter describing the suffering there. After considerable 
debate the affirmative side won by a decision of 36 to 4 and 
the outcome was the collecting and sending of a considerable 


312 Tue Projyecr PRINCIPLE 


amount of clothing and the appropriation of $5.00 from the 
treasury to pay for its transportation. 

Aside from the giving of the portions of the ritual 
already in use, the chapter is planning other steps to which 
the members may aspire when they have fulfilled the condi- 
tions. The first three of those steps are the Courage Step, 
the Loyalty Step, and the Service Step, the attainment of 
all of which makes one a member of the Inner Circle. 
Beyond these are two other steps, the Step of Faith and the 
Step of Good Will. Those taking these highest steps are 
made members of the Inmost Circle. The conditions of 
membership in all these steps are to be based upon study 
and service projects. 

The initiative and activity of the young people has been 
further utilized in various ways. The making and wiring 
of the pedestals for the globes and pyramid which are 
symbols of the order and the running of the lantern have 
been the work of the young men. The young women made 
the costumes used in the Admission Step and a beautiful 
flag symbolizing the ideals of the chapter. The constitution 
also is a product of the young people’s thinking. 

The values of this enterprise to our young people may 
be set down as (a) an opportunity for the expression of their 
love of the beautiful, the good and the true, since the ritual, 
and symbolism used are taken from the great Christian 
writers, (b) the development of initiative and responsibility 
in the carrying on of an organization which they are helping 
to create, and (c) the growth of their power to think through 
to a Christian solution the problems with which they are 
confronted. 


Epitor’s Notrr.—The constitution, rituals, and detailed 
explanations have been printed and can be obtained from the 
person reporting at the foregoing address. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 313 


61. OUR COUNCIL YEARBOOK: 


How can we discover whether our community Young 
People’s Conference is producing results, back in the Sunday 
schools of the young people who attended our conference ? 
How can we show the adults in our churches that young 
people’s work in the Sunday school is something big and 
worth while, with real results ? 

These questions and the need, from the angle of the 
young people themselves, for advertising the interdenomi- 
national Young People’s Council of the Norumbega District 
Sunday-School Association led to the suggestion that we 
issue a leaflet telling people what the council and confer- 
ence were for. The suggestion that we “print something 
about the Council” was made from the floor by one of the 
boys who attended the conference, but had never before 
heard of the Young People’s Council of the district. 

The young people having thus taken the initiative, the 
director of the council (an adult) suggested that the under- 
taking had large possibilities and stated that the district 
Sunday-school association would stand back of the council in 
appropriating money if a real, worth-while bulletin should 
be written and published. It was decided to include not 
only some facts about the council, its purpose and achieve- 
ments, but also some field notes from the various Sunday 
schools about their young people’s work and activities. 

Since our young people write essays and act as reporters 
for high-school classes and events, why not show the public 
that they can do this sort of thing for Sunday-school work ? 
And why not encourage the young people to think that it is 
worth while to work in these ways for the church, as well as 
in school ? 

Reported by Luliona Barker, executive secretary, Nor- 


umbega District Sunday School Association, Watertown, Mas- 
sachusetts. 


214 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


As a result, the council officers acted as the editorial 
staff, assisted by the director of the council. Certain council 
members were selected as reporters, either to write up class 
and department activities, or to secure such write-ups from 
their friends. “Seventeen acceptable write-ups were gath- 
ered, covering nine pages of a ‘‘ Yearbook.’ Three articles 
that might be classed as ‘‘essays”’ were discovered by the 
council director. Two gocd young people’s department 
worship services were included—services that were actually 
given in a certain Sunday school of the district by the young 
people. 

“Echoes” from the Young People’s Conference were 
included as well as a report of the summer older boy and 
older girl camp-conferences, at Winnepesaukee, New Hamp- 
shire, conducted by the International Council of Religious 
Education. The report of these conferences gave a chance 
to decorate the pages with two interesting camp pictures, 
where many high-school folks might see their friends pictured 
in camp life, 

Out of the twenty pages finally included in our yearbook, 
all but five were entirely of material written by the young 
people, and edited, of course, by the council officers and 
director. 

This project had several values, some of which are the 
following: 

1. It served as one means of dignifying the Sunday 
school in the eyes of the young people themselves. 

2. It inspired classes and departments to greater effort, 
showing them that their work is appreciated. | 

3. It taught young people that many churches of a com- 
munity may work together to produce something worth while, 
which is bigger than any one church could accomplish alone. 

4. It set young people to work at a real task of service 
for the church. 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 315 


62. A STUDY-WORSHIP-SERVICE 
PROJECT: 


Origin.—The church school (attendance of 600) had two 
orchestras, one for the intermediate-senior department and 
one for the young people’s—adult department. The mem- 
bership included young people of both sexes and varying 
ages and interests. For some reason they were grouped 
together in one class and had started to study (?) uniform 
lessons under the leadership of a college professor of English. 
There was the usual lack of interest. The teacher sensed 
the situation and asked the educational director for sugges- 
tions as to a new and more interesting course of study. The 
latter proposed that this group discuss the relationship of 
music to the church, since music and the church were the 
two interests which this group had in common. The 
director spent two Sunday sessions opening up the possibili- 
ties of such study and arousing initial interest. The 
teacher, who in addition to his other college duties, directed 
the glee club, became enthusiastic regarding the chance to 
do something different and yet worth while. The manner 
in which he carried the idea farther proved his continued 
interest. 

What was done.—He outlined topics for discussion with 
the consent of the class members. Such topics as the “ His- 
tory of Hymns,” ‘‘The Choice of Good Hymns as to Words 
and Tunes,” ‘‘Types of Sacred Music,” “Music for Special 
Occasions,’* and so forth, were taken up during a period of 
two years. During the second year the class moved from 
its place in the church auditorium to a room in a private 
house near by in order that they might use a piano without 
disturbing the other classes. 


A description by the author, reprinted from Religious 
Education for April, 1923. 


316 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


About two months before Christmas, the educational 
director asked this class to take their turn at leading the 
members of the young people’s department in their opening 
service of worship, and suggested that the importance of 
music in worship be stressed. The suggestion was readily 
adopted. The class decided to take the theme, “‘ Christmas 
Carols,’’ and to lead the worship on the second Sunday before 
Christmas. They now had a specific goal ahead and this 
gave an added motive to the next six weeks’ study and dis- 
cussion. ‘They were to pass on what they had been learning 
to the larger group, and they were to lead them in a worship 
service as helpful as possible. The program consisted of 
the following numbers: 


1. Medley—Christmas Carols, by the orchestra 

2. Scripture—Psalm 

3. Prayer, by one of the members of the orchestra, giving specific 
attention to the place of music as an appeal from God 

4. A talk on Christmas Carols, by the teacher. He began by 
telling of a lone singer in the hospital at St. Mihiel who finally 
led others to join with him. This coming of the Christmas 
spirit to the hospital led a little French lad, the soldiers’ mascot, 
to say, ‘‘ Never have I seen a finer Christmas.” The brief talk 
was concluded with the suggestion, ‘‘Let’s put away the rag- 
time from the piano and sing Christmas Carols for awhile.” 
Several of these were suggested. 

5. Singing of Carols by the quartet 
a) “‘There’s a Song in the Air” 
b) “Silent Night” 
c) “It Came upon the Midnight Clear”’ 

6. Postlude—Christmas Song 


A similar program was planned and carried out just before 
Easter. 

Evaluation.—(1) These programs were particularly 
impressive. The motives—to give that which they were 


PROJECTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 217 


learning to others, to lead them in a more impressive type 
of worship, and especially to develop a more vivid apprecia- 
tion of the worth of music at the special Christian holy 
days—all combined to deepen their own purpose of sharing 
and helpfulness, and to urge them to contribute their 
best. 

2. In this project we find attention paid to the acquiring 
of knowledge, to the strengthening of worship, and to the 
factor of service to others. This fusing of three aspects of 
the religious education process in a single project increased 
its value. 

3. Such an undertaking as this suggests that the basis 
of our class membership is to be found not so much in age or. 
general mental development as in the particular interests of 
the individual pupils. In other words, the choice of 
curriculum materials is dependent upon their interest and 
needs, which must first be analyzed. 

4. The course emphasized also the fact that the function 
of our religious education from one viewpoint is the placing 
of a Christian interpretation upon our various life-interests 
and capacities. Do we not need more projects involving 
the Christianizing of home-making, the choice of life-work, 
industrial relationships, civic duties, and the like? 


63. YOUNG PEOPLE REMAKING 
THEIR PROGRAM? 


This was an average young people’s society, with an 
attendance of from fifteen to twenty, where it should have 
been three times that size. It was the orthodox type, with 
the regular Christian Endeavor topics, a leader to open the 
meeting, a program arranged according to the usual 


* Reported by Frank M. Sheldon, general secretary, Con- 
gregational Education Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 


318 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


custom—a few sentence prayers, some more or less per- 
functory talk, reading of clippings from the Christian 
Endeavor World, a consecration meeting of no consequence— 
and as a result, little actual development in the lives of the 
young people who participated. 

Another factor in the situation, however, was a group 
of young men, some in high school, some in stores and 
shops, some in Boston Tech and some in Harvard, who 
had been gathered together in a discussion group by an 
efficient leader, at the Sunday-school hour. The young 
men of this class had no interest in the Christian En- 
deavor Society. They didn’t think it was run in a vital 
manner, nor did they think it discussed topics dealing with 
their problems. 

Their attitude was confided to the leader of the Chris- 
tian Endeavor. The result was a meeting between the 
two organizations, In which there was a very frank discussion 
of the entire situation. The Christian Endeavor folks 
challenged the young men of the class to come and show 
them how to run the Endeavor. The young men accepted 
the challenge, and the next meeting was, to say the least, 
vigorous! 

As a result of the exchange of ideas, the young people 
decided to change the character of their meetings. The 
first thing they undertook to do was to choose their topics 
on the basis of problems which have to do with young 
people’s lives, and in which they were interested. 

The meeting was made as informal as possible. Chairs 
were placed in a circle, and members participated freely 
without rising. Instead of taking part once, they might 
take part several times, by question or answer, or in any 
way they desired. Instead of having a program committee 
and selecting a leader for each meeting, they divided into 
groups, numbering about eight members each, and each of 


Projects OF YOUNG PEOPLE 319 


these groups took turns in providing the topic and leading 
the discussion. Such topics as the following were discussed: 
A Single or a Double Standard ? 
Can a Person Succeed and Keep the Golden Rule? 
What Is the Meaning of Liberty in America ? 
What Is the Bible, and What Should It Mean to Us? 
What Is Prayer, and What Should It Mean to Us? 
Is a College Education Worth While ? 
Is the Christian Endeavor Pledge Practicable ? 


Two meetings were spent on this latter topic, and the 
discussion centered around: (1) ‘‘Shall we keep this 
pledge?” (2) “Shall we change it?’ (3) ‘Shall we have 
a new pledge?” (4) “If not, what shall we do?” Asa 
result of this discussion, the group in charge of the meeting 
brought in a platform indicating their aim, rather than a 
pledge. This new platform was as follows: 

Our Atim—The aim of this Society shall be to promote an 
earnest Christian life among our members, to increase our mutual 
acquaintance, to train us for work in the churches, and in every way 
to make us more useful in the service of God and our fellow-men, 

Our FELLowsH1p—All young people in sympathy with the 
Aim and Ideals of this organization. 

Our IpEAL—A group of young people with open minds and 
Christian principles. 


Those who became members signed their names below 
this statement: ‘‘I am in sympathy with the Aim, Fellow- 
ship, and Ideal of this organization and desire to become a 
member.” | 

Among the most notable results of these changes is the 
fact that the attendance now runs from forty-five to sixty 
each Sunday night. The meetings have taken on new 
interest, and one can easily discern that a number of the 
young people are doing more real thinking than they have 
done before, and thus are beginning to grow in their Chris- 
tian outlook and also in their Christian attitude. 


SECTION VII 


PROJECTS OF ADULTS 
64. NEIGHBORS 


In this project we report some adventures in being 
neighborly which the members of the United Church (Con- 
gregational) of Wichita, Kansas, have had recently in their 
Open Forum. There was a feeling growing up in this Kansas 
city, as is quite generally the case throughout the whole 
country, that the spirit of neighborliness was being sorely 
tried. Forces a-plenty seemed to be dividing and separating 
friend from friend. 

In the first place, the Ku Klux Klan was very active in 
this field and it was producing suspicion rather than faith 
and trust among the citizens. Lines between Protestant 
and Catholic were sharply drawn, differences were magni- 
fied, while common interests were forgotten. Then there 
was the Negro question which would not be downed. ‘This 
question was agitating the public-school system because of 
the intermingling of the two races in the schoolroom. Jews 
also came in for a certain amount of unfriendliness. The 
pastor of United Church summed up the situation in these 
words: ‘‘We have delved deeply in the fine art of suspecting 
the Catholic, lording it over the Negro, and feeling mightily 
superior to everyone who was not born on American soil— 
Kansas soil preferred.”’ 

One way to help straighten out a situation of this kind 
is for all parties concerned to have a frank face-to-face dis- 

* Reported by Charles A. Butts, Social Service Department, 
Congregational Education Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 


320 


PROJECTS OF ADULTS 321 


cussion of the facts and issues involved. This is what the 
members of United Church proceeded to do. Five succes- 
sive Sunday evenings of the Open Forum were given over to 
the discussion of the subject “‘Who Is My Neighbor ?” 
Everyone was invited. The Protestant forces were joined 
by the Catholics, the Jews, and the Negroes. 

The pastor opened the first meeting of the series with a 
discussion of the subject, ““My Neighbor, the Catholic.” 
It was a strong plea for intelligent understanding and 
not an ignorant hatred on the part of Protestants and 
Catholics. He read before this audience, in which there 
were both Catholics and Protestants, a collection of old 
wives’ tales pertaining to the Knights of Columbus and 
the Ku Klux Klan forces. He reminded his hearers that 
the gospel of Jesus Christ is big enough to take in all 
men of good will, no matter what may be their theological 
views. 

This was followed on the next Sunday evening by a 
discussion of ‘““My Neighbor, the Jew.” The speaker was 
a Catholic and he made a plea for Christian fellowship on 
the part of all. The third meeting was given over to the 
discussion of “‘My Neighbor, the Negro,’ and was led by 
the principal of the schools who was faced with the problem 
of making it easy for white and black children to attend 
school together. He voiced the appeal of the colored folks 
to give them a chance to be men. A discussion of the 
Ku Klux Klan occupied the time of the final session. 

This pastor in commenting upon these meetings says: 
“The chief contribution of the series was the fact that black 
and white, Jew and Gentile, Catholic and Protestant, would 
all come into one church, join in the same hymns, unite in the 
same responses and say the same prayers—this told its 
story in accents which could not be mistaken. It told of 
‘neighbors,’ no matter what the speakers might say.” 


B22 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


65. HOW ONE BROTHERHOOD MET THE 
“BOY PROBLEM”? 


Everyone in Saco, Maine, felt the need of a recreational 
center for the bays and young men of the community, but it 
took the Men’s Brotherhood of the First Parish Church 
(Congregational) to provide for such a need. The idea of 
establishing a center had long been the hope of certain of the 
members of the Brotherhood, and early in the year 1923, the 
project was laid before the other members. Now, it may 
have been that this Brotherhood was giving ‘‘an evening’s 
entertainment once a month for the men, building up a few 
luke-warm friendships, and making a placid loyalty to the 
church,” about which there was nothing particularly inspiring. 
It may have been that they were becoming discontented with 
comparatively shallow and superficial things, and the time 
was ripe for someone to present a big challenge to them. At 
any rate, when it was pictured to the men that throughout 
the long winter months there was no suitable place for the 
boys of the community to come together for their games and 
recreation, the men immediately tackled the job of establish- 
ing a community house. Plans were made and in a very 
short time the house was opened. 

It is the only recreational center in the community 
outside the commercial pool halls. That it was needed is 
shown by the large number of boys and young men who come 
to it from every part of the city. There is a good supply of 
games and other amusements which would attract the boys 
and give them an opportunity to have contests with other 
boys under proper surroundings. Two new billiard tables 
were purchased, and the boys themselves put an old one 
into good shape so that three tables are now at the disposal of 


* Reported by Charles A. Butts, Social Service Department, 
Congregational Education Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF ADULTS 323 


the visitors. In the summer when the Maine woods call the 
boys to camps and life in the great outdoors, the community 
house closes its doors, to reopen in the fall with an ever 
enlarging program of service. 

The boys have shown their appreciation of the house by 
closely observing the few customary restrictions placed upon 
the use of the facilities. They have also shown a keen 
interest and sense of ownership in the house by contributing 
books and other useful articles and making needed pieces of 
equipment. 

This was not an adventure for the Brotherhood which 
would end with the opening day. In addition to the initial 
outlay, there were maintenance expenses for which provision 
must be made. This the men did by voluntary subscrip- 
tions; and there has never been a scarcity of funds for keep- 
ing the work in motion. 

But the men displayed their loyalty to this undertaking 
in another and even more significant way. They have all 
taken turns in going to the community house to be with the 
boys. Right here is an important feature in any under- 
taking of this kind where men and boys are concerned. 
Because of the complexity of modern life, the lives of fathers 
and sons are often widely separated. They do not often 
work together, side by side. Likewise, there is a gap be- 
tween their social lives. The members of this Brotherhood 
have the rare opportunity of playing with their sons. 
Through this contact, more good can come to the boy than 
could possibly come through contact with paid workers. If 
there is a “boy problem” in Saco, we believe that the prob- 
lem has been placed in the proper hands for solution. 

In this co-operative enterprise, the men of the First 
Church Parish have found something bigger and better. 
They have found a worth-while task for their Christian 
fellowship. 


324 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


66. A CHURCH-SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 
PROJECT: 


A small nucleus of workers in a certain church school 
having an attendance of about 250 had for some time desired 
for their church a forward step in religious education. One 
of these workers, the president of the men’s class, was eager 
to have a religious education survey of their situation. 
Following his suggestion a conference of interested workers 
was called and a Survey Committee appointed. A denomi- 
national secretary, with particular experience in such survey 
work, was asked to study their problems and make a report. 

By means of questionnaire blanks, which were filled out 
by those responsible for various types of work in the school, 
together with the facts gained from eight days’ observation 
on the field, the secretary compiled a comprehensive report 
which he submitted to the Survey Committee. This report 
was then studied carefully and in detail by various subcom- 
mittees to which its several sections were allotted. As a 
result of a number of meetings for study and discussion the 
Survey Committee then prepared a statement containing 
the essential facts together with their recommendations 
which was presented to the members of the church at their 
annual meeting. Two prominent items recommended were 
the election of a religious education committee and the 
employment of a director of religious education. The meet- 
ing voted for the forward steps suggested, although the 
financing of the program was to be separate from the regular 
church budget and a responsibility of the new Religious 
Education Committee. 

The first stage of the project completed, the Survey 
Committee turned over its work to the new committee, 
who began their twofold task of raising money and finding 


* Reported by the author. 


PROJECTS OF ADULTS 225 


the right person to be their director. The latter task proved 
as difficult an undertaking as the former. The work of 
the survey and convincing of the church membership had 
taken four months; seven more elapsed before they were 
able to secure a leader whom they considered the right man 
for the place. This meant a vast amount of work and also 
careful study and much discussion of the whole field of 
religious education, its aims, the type of program needed for 
the church, the qualifications of a director, etc. The chair- 
man of the committee was sent to the annual convention of 
the Religious Education Association at Cleveland to inter- 
view possible candidates and discover the best methods of 
modern religious education. Nineteen delegates were sent 
to the Northfield Summer Conference of Religious Education 
for the full eight days’ program and seven more attended for 
a week-end. In the meantime, four Sunday evening meet- 
ings had been devoted to the public presentation of the 
problem as had several meetings of the church parent- 
teachers’ association. Special week-day classes had also 
been conducted during the spring months. 

As a result of the careful study and analysis of the 
religious education problems in a local church, the com- 
mittee decided that their leader in this phase of the work 
of the church should be known as the educational pastor and 
he was called with full understanding of this fact and all its 
bearings. He began his work with a large group of loyal 
supporters thoroughly committed to a forward program. 

The objective results of this purpose to make improve- 
ment are. apparent from the foregoing. The enterprise, 
however, had, in addition, distinct educational values in the 
training of local leadership to a degree that is unusual. 
The numerous committee meetings, the public meetings 
held, the conferences with specialists in the field of reli- 
gious education, the attendance upon the conferences and 


326 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


conventions mentioned, and the constant study and thought 
upon the type of problem too often overlooked by most 
churches in hasty attempts to move forward, all combined’ 
to make the year’s work highly valuable as a means of 
leadership training. The educational pastor now has as his 
helpers a large number of associates, who are not only loyal 
and enthusiastic, but well grounded in the best methods 
of religious education and at once open minded and 
co-operative. It is but fair to say that these local com- 
mittees have learned more about methods as a result of this 
experience than most training classes working for credits. 


67. THE PEACH STREET MISSION! 


A group of volunteers from the Worthwhile Class were 
assisting in taking the religious census. Their particular 
territory was a section of the city near the railroad shops. 
As they went from house to house, the young women were 
astonished at the number of children they found who were 
not in Sunday school, and the number of families who seemed 
to have no church affiliation. | 

At the next meeting of the Worthwhile Class the young 
women made their report and it was suggested that the class 
assume some responsibility for providing the children of this 
district with some form of religious education. An after- 
noon Sunday school was suggested. A committee was 
appointed to make further survey and investigation in the 
neighborhood. . 

The result was that the matter of the organization of an 
afternoon school was placed before the officers of the general 
Sunday school for their approval. When it was found that 
a small building which had once served as a meeting-house | 
could be secured at a low rental from one of the residents of 


* Reported by Anna Estelle May, Social Service Department, 
Congregational Education Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF ADULTS BaF 


the neighborhood, the general Sunday school agreed to be 
responsible for the rental and for part of the equipment 
necessary. The members of the class succeeded in raising 
enough money for a piano and chairs. 

Fifty were present on the opening Sunday afternoon and 
the classes were organized and graded. Soon the attend- 
ance had reached an average of over two hundred. Week- 
day classes of various kinds were established, boys’ clubs, 
girls’ sewing classes, etc. 

While the young women of the Worthwhile Class Hie 
much help, and excellent help, yet theirs was the responsi- 
bility, and they carried it well for over two years. A church 
of another denomination in the vicinity which had previously 
failed to reach this group put a paid worker in the field and 
succeeded in getting a number of the families to their morn- 
ing Sunday school. The need gradually became less for the 
afternoon school and as the property was wanted for other 
purposes, the school was disbanded. 

Evaluation.—(1) Two churches were aroused to a 
responsibility toward this particular group of people. The 
one put a paid worker on the field and built up its Sunday 
school. Today it is an institutional church and meets the 
needs of the community in a very excellent way. The 
other through its church visitor established a neighborhood 
house which is still serving this group efficiently. 

2. The opportunity for expression in Christian service 
which was afforded the young women of the Worthwhile 
Class was indeed valuable. It brought to them a new 
sense of their own responsibility in the Kingdom. Because 
of the effort and study which they had to expend upon the 
project they were made to see the necessity of proper teacher- 
training and real preparation for service. 

3. With all their good endeavors they could not bring 
through the Mission all the things to which this group was 


328 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


entitled in the way of religious education. ‘The ministry of 
the church itself was lacking. They have found that it is 
much better to put forth all their efforts in bringing the 
individuals one= by one into the fellowship of the church. 
The reception into the fellowship of their own class of young 
women from this district has made their own group more 
democratic and worth while. 


68. PROVIDING A PLAYGROUND FOR 
PARISH CHILDREN! 


In the heart of the factory district of Holyoke, Mas- 
sachusetts, stands Grace Church where it has served its 
parish for thirty years, the last twenty under the leadership 
of Rev. Edwin B. Robinson. It is in the very shadow of the 
large paper and satin mills for which Holyoke is noted, only a 
narrow street and a factory canal separating the church 
from the industrial plants. Its parish covers rows of 
tenement houses which are largely occupied by people work- 
ing in the nearby mills. This makes Grace Church strictly 
a workingman’s church and its program has been arranged 
accordingly. A membership of over a thousand shows that 
the church is an integral part of the life of the neighborhood. 

One outstanding piece of community service which the 
church has done was the provision of a playground for the 
children of the parish. They were crowded in by close 
living quarters and by the factories, and there had long 
existed the need fora suitable playground. When the pastor 
saw the possibility of this service for his people, he was 
thwarted by the usual difficulties which stand in the way of 
community progress. However, he was able to give to the 
men of the church some of his own inspiration, and they in 


* Reported by Charles A. Butts, Social Service Department, 
Congregational Education Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 


PROJECTS OF ADULTS 320 


turn became certain that they had to have a playground for 
their children. 

A large piece of property adjoining the church building 
on the south was secured for this pupose. As in many other 
churches similarly located, money was not very plentiful for 
this undertaking, and the men themselves had to contribute 
largely toward transforming the barren plot into a play- 
ground suitable for entertaining hundreds of children. They 
built a high board fence at the rear of the lot, thus separating 
the grounds from an unsightly alley, and bordered the front 
of the field with an iron fence. Then they began the task of 
equipping the playground. Strong metal swings, merry-go- 
rounds, turning poles, sand piles, and similar devices were 
added one by one. The result was ‘‘ Pilgrim Field.” 

On summer evenings one can see the children coming 
toward the field from all directions, most of them accom- 
panied by their fathers, for the fathers are taking great pride 
in this piece of co-operative work and are constantly adding 
their personal touch to its maintenance. 

Here, then, is a worth-while project made possible by a 
group of adults working together under the inspiration of 
Christian fellowship. In addition to giving the parish a 
much-needed playground, the value of which could not be 
estimated in dollars and cents, the men have sensed the 
value of working together in worth-while tasks. 


69: TWO STUDIES IN PRACTICAL 
CHURCHMANSHIP! 


It is the purpose of this report to tell how one forum dis- 
cussion class opened up a new field of discussion material out 
of which there came much good for the church as well as for 

«Reported by Arthur E. Holt, secretary, Social Service 


Department, Congregational Education Society, Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts. 


330 THE PRojEcCT PRINCIPLE 


the members of the study group. ‘The report concerns the 
Forum Bible Class of a New England Congregational 
Church. 

The members of this group decided that they would 
study for three months the problems of the local church. In 
order to get material before the class for discussion, a 
questionnaire with the following questions was sent to 150 
members of the church: 


QUESTIONNAIRE 
What changes would you suggest in our church: 


. In the conduct of its finances ? 

In the pew rental system ? 

. In the conduct and support of the church school? 
. In the character of the Sunday services of worship ? 
. In the conduct of the midweek service ? 

. In the program for reaching the community? 

. Along any other line? 


TIAN BW DND H 


Many answers to the questionnaire were returned and 
the discussion of the various suggestions covered half-a- 
dozen meetings. Two or three specialists in church organ- 
ization were invited in to give their views on the situation. 
The outcome was the adoption of new and important 
features in the program of the church. These changes 
were: (1) the adoption of the Every-Member Canvass; 
(2) the adoption of the free-pew system; (3) the employ- 
ment of a director of religious education; (4) the establish- 
ment of a children’s church. 

This series of discussions, which took place four or five 
years ago, established the forum as a working organiza- 
tion where the problems of the church could be thrashed 
out. It had a large attendance and became a vital factor 
in directing the affairs of the church. In some ways it 


PRojJECTs OF ADULTS 327 


seems to furnish a better time for facing the tasks of the 
church than any of the other church meetings. 

In the fall of 1923, this church faced the problem of 
securing a new pastor. The Forum Committee decided to 
make this situation the basis of a three months’ study of the 
church and its community, hoping to bring to the church 
members a realization of the outstanding characteristics of 
the church and its community which would reflect the type 
of minister who could best serve the church. Again the 
questionnaire method was used, the following letter being 
sent to 250 members of the church: 


QUESTIONNAIRE 


Our church faces a question which will vitally affect its 
policies for many years to come. ‘The policies of a church are 
very much in the hands of its pastor. The choice of a leader in a 
democratic church should be a matter of vital interest to every 
member. 

Once before your Forum Committee sent out a questionnaire 
asking the members of the church to express their opinion with 
regard to the policies of the church. Co-operation of the member- 
ship was splendid and we believe that the results justified the 
effort. It is our purpose to spend two of the forum meetings 
discussing this important question which we face. In order that 
the participation may be general, we are sending out this ques- 
tionnaire to the membership of the church, asking them to answer 
it and return in the inclosed envelope. These answers will be 
assembled and analyzed and placed before the Forum for dis- 
cussion. 


1. What changes do you anticipate in the growth of our com- 
munity in the future which will affect the policy of our church ? 
a) Will we get more apartment houses? 
b) Will we become more or less of a family church ? 


2. Do you think we should call a man who has had experience in 
a suburban church ? 


230 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


3. Do you think that our next minister should be under or over 
thirty-five years of age? 

4. Do you think that he should be a man witha family of his own? 

s. Would you wish to call a man who has not been a Congrega- 
tionalist ? 

6. Would you prefer a western or an eastern man? 

7. In your estimation wculd it be better to call a man of marked 
ability as a public sps ker and moderate ability as a thinker, 
or a man who has marked ability as a thinker and moderate 
ability as a speaker ? | 

8. Do you think the days of pastoral calling are past or would 
you prefer a man who is very faithful to his pastoral calling ? 

9. Do you think the minister should discuss social questions 
from the pulpit; such as, prohibition, international questions, 
and the issues which center around modern industry ? 

10. Do you think that we should have more or less ritual in our 
church service ? 

11. Would you make a wide interest in missions a necessary 
qualification in any minister who is to lead the church ? 

12. Would you make the ability to organize the young people a 
necessary qualification in our future minister ? 


The discussion of the answers to these questions created 
a great deal of interest among the members and an average 
of 170 people came for the sessions at the close of the morning 
service. If there was one outstanding result of the discus- 
sion, it was the arousing in the people the spirit of a better 
churchmanship. The members used neither books nor 
quarterlies in these projects, but they did use material from 
their own experiences, both as individuals and as members 
of an organized group. ‘This study of better churchmanship 
during the fall, followed by a three months’ study of practical 
problems of citizenship in the winter, and a three months’ 
study of personal religion and evangelism in the spring, 
gives a well-balanced program of adult education and can 
well be extended to other groups. 


SECTION VIII 


PROJECTS CARRIED ON BY MORE THAN 
ONE DEPART MENT 


70. D.V.B.S. AT WORK FOR THE CHURCH? 


The idea of having the Daily Vacation Bible School of 
1923 undertake work for the church as a project came to 
the teachers during their training period in March. The 
church was then planning a new church house in which to 
accommodate the Sunday school efficiently, and hopes were 
high that work on it would be under way at about the time 
the D.V.B.S. was in session in the church next door. The 
children would be meeting within sight and sound of a church 
building in process of erection. Could not the whole course 
be called “‘ Building the Church” and the Bible lessons cover 
the building of the Tabernacle and the Temple, the restora- 
tion of the Temple, the founding of the early church by 
Jesus and the Apostles, while the missionary lessons dealt 
with the leaders of a growing church through the centuries, 
the whole capped by having the manual work the making of 
things for the new building at their very side? The church 
found it impossible to start the work on the new building so 
soon. The entire program seemed a bit too ambitious for 
our first vacation school, and so a completely correlated 
program was given up, but the project idea was retained for 
the handwork. The church was surcharged with building 
ideas and plans, and while not related to the school in any 


tReported by C. E. Bloodgood, pastor, First Reformed 
Church, Rochelle Park, New Jersey. 


333 


334 THE PRojEcT PRINCIPLE 


way, the actual financial campaign for the building fund was 
conducted during the time the school was in session, the 
children thus being in the atmosphere of building. The 
new building will be in actual construction during the 1924 
school and the “project” is now being considered in its 
entirety for the school at that time. 

In the handwork, then, the “building project” was put 
into execution in 1923. The possibilities were tabulated 
and, while they could not all be carried out in one school 
session, they are listed here by way of suggestion, after 
which the things actually achieved will be discussed. The 
items in mind were: 

For the new dining-room.—The construction of dining- 
tables, the hemming of towels and table cloths, the weaving 
of sandwich, cake, and flower baskets, the painting of bottles 
for vases. 

For the Sunday school.—The construction of tables for 
the beginners’ and primary departments, tables for the indi- 
vidual classes of the rest of the school, a sand table, one or 
more blackboards, hat and coat racks for each department, 
little chests for the individual class or department para- 
phernalia, games for the social events of the departments; 
the sewing and stenciling of curtains for the windows and 
covers for the tables, the weaving of offering baskets for the 
departments. 

For the church—The making of vases and jardiniéres, 
the construction of bulletin boards, the dressing of dolls for 
Christmas or for the church fair. 

There could be almost unlimited extension of these 
items, but those here mentioned were definitely listed by our 
school. 

Manifestly such a list was beyond both the time and 
budget of one summer session. Now as to the parts actually 
worked out. The girls’ handwork department made and 


Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 335 


stained four offering baskets, sewed sufficient bean bags to 
furnish not only the Sunday school but the County Home 
for Children as well, dressed eighteen dolls for the church 
fair, painted over a dozen pickle jars for vases, and made a 
large jardiniére. The boys’ handwork department con- 
structed two bulletin boards, one for church use at the post- 
office, and one for the church auditorium, two 7X3 foot 
dining-room tables, two bean bag boards, and four ring-toss 
games. 

Several of these pieces of work deserve a further word. 
The dolls were furnished by the ladies’ aid society and the 
material was solicited among the ladies. They were not 
dressed alike, but each girl made use of the material she 
had at hand. Hats and parasols were made to match. 
The dolls were then returned to the ladies’ aid to be sold 
by them at the fair. The large jardiniére was made of an 
old pail covered with putty. While the putty was still soft, 
broken bits of china dishes, of varied shapes and colors, 
were pressed into this soft putty. When dry, the edges of 
the bits of china were outlined in gilt paint, and the inside 
of the pail was enameled in white. The large bulletin 
board for the post-office was equipped with a glass door and 
a lock. It was surmounted with a triangular heading, upon 
which was placed the name of the church, the letters being 
one inch in height, cut from three-ply wood and gilded. 
The dining-room tables were of collapsible type, the top 
boards being doweled together and polished. At Com- 
mencement all the articles bore legends presenting them to 
the organization for which they were made. 

How were the children interested in doing these things ? 
It differed slightly in the two departments. The girls, all 
interested in the coming building, did most of their work as 
class assignments. As the more efficient boys finished some 
toy and got ahead of the outlined work of the week, they 


336 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


were asked if they did not want to do something “‘big”’ for 
the church. Of course they did! They were then installed 
at the instructor’s work bench as master-workmen. It soon 
became evident that more careful supervision needed to be 
given to some of the more intricate work, so afternoon 
and even evening sessions came to be held. The difficulty 
arose, not in getting the groups to come for these sessions, 
but to prevent them “living” at the church day and night! 
Naturally the larger part of this project work was done by 
the nine- to fourteen-year-old group. However, mention 
must be made of a task undertaken by the primary girls. 
A group of these girls met three afternoons of the week 
before the school opened and made enough artificial flowers 
to decorate the walls of the kindergarten department, 
transforming the room into one of joy and beauty. Thus 
they also worked for the church as well as the older ones. 

Since this description is concerned only with the con- 
struction projects, no mention is made of the other work of 
the school which was carried on along the usual lines. In 
some cases beads and sewing aprons were made by the girls 
for themselves, while the boys made many toys, not only 
for themselves, but a box full for the children’s home. 

If the outstanding religious education value that the 
children gained from this work could be put into one phrase 
it would read something like this: A consciousness on the 
child’s part of his own personal relationship to, and participa- 
tion in, the life of the church. ‘To illustrate: As one of the 
boys sandpapered the bulletin board which was to be placed 
in the rear of the church, he remarked: ‘‘Say, it’ll be great 
when I am a man and come walking into church to point 
to this board and say ‘I helped to make that, when I was a 
kid.’”? The presence and use of these articles during the 
week and on Sunday in the church recall to the children their 
part in its life. As the offering is being taken, a girl remarks, 


Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 337 


‘“‘They are using our baskets.”” When games are under way 
at a social the boys start looking for the games we made at 
D.V.B.S. They have gained a consciousness of their place 
and part in the organization. The converse is true also. 
The adults have recognized the place of the children in the 
church’s life. 

Another lesson learned was that of group co-operation. 
No matter who worked on an article, or how much she or 
he individually did on it, when it was presented at Com- 
mencement, it was given in the name of the group, ‘‘the 
intermediate girls,” ‘‘the primary boys,” etc. 

The boys and girls seemed to enjoy making something 
permanent and practical, and to feel proud that they were 
having a share in the growing work of the church. It is 
this consciousness on their part of participation in the real 
life of the church that has impressed the teachers as a 
permanent religious development in the lives of the children, 
the result of the work done in D.V.B.S. 1923. 


71. THANKING THE TRAFFIC POLICEMAN: 


For some time in our church and Sunday school we have 
endeavored to emphasize the important part played by our 
public servants, particularly the firemen and policemen. 
Not long since our community was deeply stirred by the 
heroic spirit of a policeman who gave his life to save two 
children from a mad dog. The pastor was called upon to 
give an address at the dedication of a memorial in honor of 
his sacrifice. 

The street in front of our church which many of our 
children must cross in going to and from the Sunday school 
is filled with speeding cars and makes the crossing for 


t Reported by Harry E. Hurd, pastor, Quincy Point Con- 
gregational Church, Quincy, Massachusetts. 


338 Tue PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


children particularly dangerous. But the traffic is directed 
by a policeman who is exceedingly careful to see that the 
children are given a safe passage and who is never too busy 
to give each one a friendly word of greeting. 

At the pastor’s suggestion the teachers in our school 
voted to remember this friendly traffic officer on the Sunday 
before Christmas. A sum of money was to be taken from 
the treasury and at the close of the session on that day the 
whole school was to march to the square and express its 
appreciation of his work, both in words and through a money 
gift. The discovery that this kind public servant was to be 
off duty on that particular Sunday caused a hasty rearrange- 
ment of plans. The idea had been withheld from the chil- 
dren up to the particular Sunday for reasons of secrecy. 
When the plan was put before them, however, on the 
second Sunday preceding Christmas, they entered in most 
enthusiastically. A gold piece was secured for presentation 
and marching plans worked out. 

The hastily shifted plan had caused a later dismissal of 
the school than usual. But the children finally appeared in 
marching order to their policeman friend’s great surprise. 
The host of three hundred, led by the pastor, came straight 
toward him and stopped. In behalf of the children, their 
teachers and their parents, many of whom were in the com- 
pany, the pastor expressed their appreciation of the officer’s 
watchfulness and presented him with the gold piece as a 
gift of love. The children took off their hats and waved and 
cheered. They called for a speech, but the policeman was 
so overcome by their kindness that he could make no 
speech. 

The experience of this service project will not easily be 
forgotten by our children. ‘Through it they learned to show 
their love of community helpers in a tangible way. They 
have a new conception of the work of the “cop” and think 


Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 330 


of him as for them rather than a person to be feared. They 
also have a broader view of religion, for this friend is a 
member of a church too often held up as antagonistic to their 
own. 


72. OUR PARISH IN INDIA? 


The aim of the project—The workers in our church school 
were anxious to arouse and maintain interest in the parish 
in India where we have for some years supported a mission- 
ary and are looking forward to the support of an entire 
station. 

What was done.—A group of young people were given 
the task of visualizing the project. They pored over what- 
ever books they could find in the city library, carefully 
examined mission study books and other sources. Then 
they learned of a Hindu university graduate, hunted him 
up, and found out all they could from him. With this 
information and the use of their imagination they con- 
structed out of beaver board, papier-maché, plasticine, and 
other materials, a model of a mission compound about 10X 5 
feet, with houses, water plant, kitchens, chapel, dispensary, 
etc., and exhibited it at the church on various occasions. 
Some of them undertook the task of preparing a special 
good-sized map with a large arrow pointing to the place in 
India. 

For the entire church, a series of weekly church-night 
suppers were held with prominent speakers from out of 
town, including our missionary and his wife, who had 
returned to America on furlough. The young people pre- 
pared and presented at one of these suppers a very effective 
call to service entitled ‘‘Three Knocks in the Night.” At 


: Reported by Harry Hopkins Hubbell, director of religious 
education, Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, 
New York. 


340 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


another the children set forth a geographical pageant with a 
vivid presentation of various facts about India. Following 
these speakers and presentations on each night there were a 
number of discussion classes with definite preparation by 
both leaders and members. 

During the same period programs on India were carried 
out in the various departments of the Sunday school and in 
the children’s societies. Through stories and pictures 
India was vividly pictured to the boys and girls. Hand- 
work motivated by service was carried out in the prepara- 
tion of a box of materials from the missionary to take back 
for use in India. 

The church missionary committee in the latter part of 
the winter rented a furnished flat for one month and invited 
thé missionary and his family to occupy it. Many hands 
made light work and, when the guests arrived, not only was 
the flat furnished, but the larder had been fully stocked, and 
flowers, magazines, candy, etc., were there to assist in making 
a hearty welcome. An auto dealer in the church placed a 
fine Franklin car at the disposal of the missionary for the 
whole month. The people seemed to vie with one another 
to make him and his family feel perfectly at home in our 
midst. 

A reception for the entire church was given with oppor- 
tunity to meet our guests, to hear them tell of their work and 
to see the fine collection of curios, which were also more 
carefully examined on other occasions. Suppers and eve- 
ning meetings at the church were given by the various groups 
and societies. Practically every group in the church carried 
out some sort of a gathering. Many parties of smaller 
groups in private homes and at some of the clubs in the city 
furnished still different points of contact. 

The children of the church learned to know the mission- 
ary’s children at Sunday school and especially at a fine 


Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 341 


children’s party which was given in their honor, at which 
presents were given them by the church children. The 
missionary occupied the pulpit one Sunday in the month 
and also assisted on other occasions, giving a very fine series 
of children’s talks. 

Some results.—(1) Our people as a whole gained a vital 
interest in our parish in India and the life of the entire church 
was quickened. 

2. Our missionary and his family are now real living 
personalities, friends of the boys and girls and men and 
women throughout the church. 

3. Over and above our regular budget, which provided 
for the missionary’s salary and several thousand dollars 
for the building program, about $2,500 was contributed. 


73. THE CHURCH SCHOOL AND THE COMMU- 
NITY—A CHRISTMAS PROJECT: 


Our church school had for many years held a ‘‘ Christmas 
Manger Service,” as a part of the morning service on the 
Sunday preceding Christmas, when the individual pupils 
brought gifts of their own choosing, afterward used in the 
Christmas work of the city’s welfare organizations—a 
miscellaneous collection of articles chosen with no definite 
purpose in view. 

One year it was suggested that we have a plan for our 
manger gifts, and in early November a simple dramatization, 
telling the story of the Associated Charities’ Christmas 
work, was given before an assembly of the departments of 
the school. Letters were also written to the superintendents 
of the larger hospitals asking for a list of the gifts most 
enjoyed by the patients in the children’s wards, and the 


t Reported by Annie M. Hanchett, director of religious educa- 
tion, Central Church, Worcester, Massachusetts. 


342 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


younger children made or bought gifts chosen from these 
lists, working in nearly all instances as class groups. 

An estimate was made of the number of families the 
older classes_cewld provide gifts for. The Associated Chari- 
ties furnished a brief history of the family together with 
the first name and age of each child, which was given 
to the gr up providing the gifts. Except in special cases 
the name and location of the family was unknown to the 
group providing the gifts, the package being delivered by 
Boy Scouts or other messengers, as unobstrusively as 
possible, in order that ~e parents, who through sickness 
or other misfortune, w re unable to purchase Christmas 
gifts, might be enabled, so far as possible, to plan and carry 
out their own family Christmas festivities, with no unneces- 
sary reminders of their own inability to provide the gifts 
to mar the pleasure of the day or lessen the self-respect of — 
the family. 

One year there came to us a special request from one of 
the Associated Charities’ visitors. An aged woman whose 
only relative, a son past fifty, was ill, needed not only a 
Christmas dinner, but friends to bring Christmas cheer. 
The intermediate and senior boys responded with enthusi- 
asm, bringing gifts of money during the weeks preceding 
Christmas for the dinner fund, and planning for the visit 
to the home. One class, with their teacher, went to the 
country and themselves cut a Christmas tree, trimmings 
for which were provided by members of the department. 
The men’s class was invited to join in the good work, and 
gave a Sunday’s collection. 

When the processional entered the church on “‘ Manger 
Sunday,” the boys’ classes were led by two members carrying 
the decorated:Christmas tree. Later in the day a goodly 
delegation went to the home with the tree, a Christmas 
dinner, and an envelope containing a gift of money. 


Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 343 


For two years aside from a large number of gifts for 
the hospitals from the younger children, our church school 
has provided planned gifts, including at least one useful and 
one real Christmasy gift and often more, for each member 
of sixteen families. The gifts are wrapped, tied, marked 
with the recipients’ names, and made attractive with 
bright-colored cords or ribbons and Christmas stickezs. All 
gifts for the family are then securely wrapped in strong 
(light-colored) wrapping paper, tied with stout cord, and 
marked with the number on the record sheet of the family. 
Each class carries its packages in the,);!ecessional and they 
are placed in and around the manger. 

After the service the address tags are placed on the 
packages, and the Boy Scouts of the church act as messen- 
gers, assisted in many cases by the automobiles of the church 
people. 

' The working-out of this project is a practical course in 
intelligent giving, planned to meet definite needs. The 
boys and girls learn not only to give intelligently, but also 
some of the principles of family welfare work, such as 
avoiding doing for the families that which it is possible to 
help them to do for themselves, and foregoing the pleasure 
of themselves taking the gifts into the home, in order that 
they may reach the home as quietly, and as little noticed 
by the neighbors, as packages from the department stores, 
thereby helping the parents themselves to give their children 
a happy Christmas. 


74, A SELF-DENIAL WEEK FOR THE 
NEAR EAST: 


The regular circular letter of appeal put out by the 
Near East Relief office in New York City was received by 


1 Reported by Herbert F. Stevenson, superintendent, Con- 
gregational Church School, Needham, Massachusetts. 





344 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


the general superintendent of our school. A request was 
‘sent to the New York office for additional copies of this 
letter and when they were received a meeting of the Young 
People’s Council was called. Each member of the council 
read the letter and then a discussion took place somewhat 
as follows: 

The counselor asked them if they felt that the Young 
People’s Division could do anything for the Near East 
Relief and one of the members responded at once, stating 
that they not only could, but that they should do something. 
Another member of the council called the attention of the 
first one to the fact that other obligations had been assumed 
by the council and it might be wise to overlook the Near 
East appeal. The other members spoke up stating that 
something should be done regardless of the other obligations 
already assumed. 

The counselor then asked them what their plan might 
be, and in reply one of the members suggested a week of 
self-denial of movies, candy, gum, and other luxuries. 
This suggestion met with the approval of the others and 
when the counselor asked them if the members of the Young 
People’s Division would stand for such a procedure, they 
were very earnest in their reply that the spirit of the 
young people in the division would make such a plan a 
success. 

The counselor then asked them what method should 
be employed in presenting the matter to the Young People’ 
Division and further asked if they thought it would be well 
for him to prepare an appeal. One of the members replie 
that it would not be well because the school would expect 
such a thing from him and that there would be considerably 
more force if they handled the matter themselves. Th 
following Sunday morning service was turned over to th 
council who planned the devotional service and presente 









Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 345 


the appeal. The response was excellent, as a contribution 
of $60 was forthcoming as the result of the week’s self-denial. 


75. WORLD-FRIENDSHIP PROJECTS: 


Before the study was presented, the departmental 
worship services were used to develop an interest in the 
two months’ program. It was left to each class to choose 
the field which it wanted to study. Naturally each 
class was guided in its choice by its interest and sym- 
pathy. We tried to impress upon the pupils that the 
course was for the purpose of learning how other people 
live, what they do, and what their needs are. 

One class of junior girls chose China because we have a 
missionary from our church there. Since we had a teacher 
in the Chinese kindergarten the girls thought that there 
must be a need for an illustrated life of Christ—not merely 
pictures, but large colored ones so that the teacher could use 
them in the kindergarten circle. Along with the compila- 
tion of the pictures of Christ, the class studied China and 
became very enthusiastic over their co-operative plan of 
helping in our Chinese work. 

A class of high-school boys chose the Dakota Indians 
with the feeling that these were nearer home and because 
of their interest in Indian stories and the life of the West. 
Through the foot-of-pennies plan the boys saved enough to 
pay for one new tire for the frontier missionary’s Ford. 

A class of high-school girls were most enthusiastic over 
their choice of the southern mountaineers. They found 


* Reported by George S. Yaple, director of religious educa- 
tion, North Woodward Avenue Congregational Church, Detroit, 
Michigan. In connection with the following description study 
the director’s plan for getting the projects started, given in 
Part I, chap. vi, pp. 91-96. 


346 Tue Project PRINCIPLE 


that information concerning these folk was scarce and con- 
sequently they had to work all the more for their study. 
I feel sure that this group obtained a more vivid picture 
of the life and needs of the southern mountaineer than any 
other group obtained of their particular field. The girls 
actually went out to earn their gift of $20 which they sent 
through the American Missionary Association. 

We had several classes who adopted an orphan in the 
Near East, one class of boys studied India and collected 
and sold paper for their project, another class studied the 
Philippines. Still other classes studied the immigrant ‘and 
the Negro, while others of course chose the same projects 
as those already mentioned. 

On Children’s Day we summed up all of our studies 
by giving the Pageant of World-Friendship, which was 
divided into the following episodes: 

1. World-Friendship in the Home, the School, and the 
Church.—This involved all the Boy and Girl Scouts, a 
junior chorus in vestments, the primary and kindergarten 
pupils, and a very fine colored story-teller who told of the 
experiences of two colored children entering our northern 
school. 

2. America and World-Friendship—This episode pre- 
sented Columbia and her attendants who receive the immi- 
grant, the foreign industrial laborer, and the neglected child. 

3. Bells of Peace and W orld-Friendship.—This presented 
the Spirit of Peace between nations. Processional of girl 
bellringers. 

4. The Cross and World-Friendship.—This presented 
the Cross of Christ, before which delegations of people 
(in native costume) coming from each direction fall in 
recognition of its being symbolic of world-friendship. 

A full-vested adult choir of forty voices supported the 
pageant with appropriate music. 


PROJECTS OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 347 


76. ELIMINATING THE CLIQUE SPIRIT: 


In a small church of 150 members there was a group of 
25 young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five. 
To the leaders it was apparent that the Christian character- 
development of these young folks was being hindered by 
several cliques. There was a small group of the older 
young people who kept entirely to themselves in social 
life. Another group, composed of the ‘‘intellectuals,”’ 
felt themselves superior to those who were more practically 
minded on the one hand and also to another group to whom 
the emotional type of worship appealed. As a result of 
these cliques it was impossible to carry forward any con- 
structive work in a harmonious spirit. 

The pastor, the teacher, and one of the older young 
people met to discuss this situation. They decided to 
call a conference of all the leaders, at which the situation 
was freely discussed. They discovered that the main 
cause of cliquishness was selfish, unequal, and inadequate 
social life and that other contributing causes were the 
unwise choice of materials and subjects at their discussion 
meetings, the absence of a spirit of worship, and the fact 
that the group could point to nothing it had done in the 
direction of Christian service. They all agreed therefore 
that what was needed was to apply the fourfold program 
to their situation and develop an all-round group and 
individual life. 

Since the social life seemed most at fault, the young 
people gave initial attention to the social problems. Follow- 
ing a meeting with the conference social program commis- 
sioner, the leaders decided to stage a dinner and an ‘‘Indoor 


* Reported by George T. Simons, director of religious educa- 
tion, Southern California Congregational Conference, Los Angeles, 
California. 


348 THe Project PRINCIPLE 


Track Meet.” This social event furnished the following 
results: (1) Everyone participated and they had the time 
of their lives. (2) A similar meeting was demanded the 
following month. (3) A regular schedule of social events 
followed. They were planned months in advance. (4) 
These gatherings featured stunts, community singing, 
dramatics, beach parties, hikes, athletic contests, and other 
social meetings with neighboring churches. Gradually 
there grew up a spirit of friendliness and co-operation in 
which everyone participated. 

In order to eliminate cleavages due to an ineffective 
study program, the young people first studied their class 
work. They found a great lack of co-operation in presenting 
subjects—particularly during discussions. This matter was 
talked over very frankly and all agreed to help in promoting 
a more successful meeting. They captured individual 
initiative by (1) choosing only subjects which could be 
understood and discussed by all, (2) adopting a democratic 
method of selecting subjects, (3) introducing the “project 
method” in both class and forum meetings, (4) agreeing 
to limit individual discussion in order to give everyone a 
chance, (5) providing for the participation of every member, 
(6) choosing subjects and study materials of vital interest 
for class work (Fosdick’s Manhood of the Master) and forum 
discussion (“Our Attitude toward the Negro” or “ Cliquish- 
ness in Our Group’). Obtaining the co-operation of 
leaders and teachers, the young people discovered that 
the group was the clearing-house for their intellectual 
problems. A united interest destroyed the cliques. 

Realizing the necessity of devotional life and their own 
tragic lack of it, the young people determined to seek sin- 
cerity rather than any conventional formality. That is, 
they prayed as they felt, rather than as they thought they 
ought to. They set aside a few minutes of every meeting 


Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 349 


sincerely devoted to worship. This period was devoted 
to a short prayer, devotional reading or talking, and appro- 
priate music. This common experience with God united 
the group in common fellowship. 

The young people co-operatively entered into Christian 
service. They applied the “project method” to a service 
program which they developed along three lines: (1) service 
for or in class, (2) service in the church, (3) service in the 
community. They also drew up and contributed to a regu- 
lar budget of benevolences. The new service program 
proved to be the greatest binding force of all. 

The adoption and effective application of the fourfold 
program in this small church, employing the creativeness 
and hearty participation of everyone, destroyed all cleavages 
and united the young people in a common fellowship which 
attained a common purpose. 


77.. OUR MOUNTAINEER FRIENDS! 


The leader of a junior-intermediate department in a 
church school began before the summer vacation to plan 
for a Christmas project which should motivate the study 
of home missions during the last quarter of the year. She 
’ began by asking the pupils what they would like to do for 
Christmas and, even though Christmas was some way off, 
it struck a responsive chord. A number of suggestions 
were offered, but all agreed that they would like to do some- 
thing for someone. The leader then asked, “What do 
you want to do and for whom do you wish to do it?” Defi- 
nite suggestions were not forthcoming. “Very well,” said 
the leader, ‘“‘here are five slips of paper, each with the name 


t Reported by Herbert W. Gates, secretary of missionary 
education, Congregational Education Society, Boston, Massa- 
chusetts. 


350 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


of a mission school or institution for which you might like 
to do something. With each slip there is a package of 
literature from which information about the particular 
object may be secured. I suggest that five classes each 
take one of these, study up on the one chosen, and report 
to the department two weeks from today. On the basis 
of these reports the department will choose one of them.” 
The work was done, the reports were made, and the depart- 
ment chose a school in the southern mountains. 

The next question was, ‘‘What shall we do?” and this 
led naturally to the question, “What do they want?” 
Other questions followed, ‘““‘Who are the pupils in this 
school?”? “Are they boys or girls, or both?” “How 


old are they?” One little girl said, ““Could we find out > 


what their names are?”’? When asked why she wanted to 
know their names, she remarked rather shyly, “I thought it 
would seem more Christmasy if we could put a name on 
each package and paste a Christmas seal on it.” 

It was decided to appoint a committee to write to the 
principal of the school and ask for the information required. 
This was done and the principal’s reply was read to the 
department. From the information given therein a list 
of gifts was made up. ‘Then came the question “How much 
will they cost?” A committee was appointed to price 
these articles at the stores and get an estimate. Then 
they asked, ‘‘How shall we raise the money?” It was 
suggested that each member of the department might save 
considerable out of their spending money during the sum- 
mer vacation. One of the boys suggested that inasmuch 
as they were to pack a Christmas barrel, each member 
should be furnished with one of the little wooden barrels 
that are used for collection boxes. These barrels were 
bought and each one marked with an appropriate inscription, 
They were given out and the pupils were instructed to keep 


| 


Projects OF More THAN ONE DEPARTMENT 351 


them in sight and to put into them whatever they could 
save for this purpose during the summer. 

Rally Day came and one of the features was the loading 
of a train for Tennessee. Across the front of the platform 
stage was a toy train. It had been made by the boys in 
the-department. Each car consisted of a flat piece of wood 
about ten or twelve inches long and four or five inches 
wide, with cardboard sides after the manner of a coal car. 
The wheels were made of tin disks such as are used for fasten- 
ing roofing paper. At the head of the train stood a toy loco- 
motive loaned by one of the members of the department. 
There was a car for each class, the number of the class being 
on the side. At the proper time in the program the superin- 
tendent of the school explained this project which the 
junior-intermediate department had under way. Then 
the members of that department came forward, each one 
bringing his barrel and loading it upon his class car. When 
the barrels were opened and the contents counted it was 
found that the total amounted to a little over $40, which 
was subsequently increased. Savings continued to be 
brought in during the fall months and meanwhile interest 
was doing its work. Nota week passed without some added 
piece of information being contributed by members of the 
department. These were reported in the classes and when 
the item was deemed to be of particular interest, the teacher 
would notify the superintendent, and the one who brought 
in the item would be asked to report to the department and 
to the general secretary. Subsidiary projects grew out of the 
larger one. Several of the classes prepared posters illustrat- 
ing life and conditions in the southern mountains. Two 
original programs were prepared for the devotional service. 
Both were dramatized, one presenting a scene in a southern 
mountain school, the other a home scene in a mountaineer’s 
cabin. A bulletin board was established and the classes took 


Bing THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


charge of it in turn, keeping it supplied with fresh pictures and 
bits of information, clippings from papers and magazines, etc. 

After a time, when sufficient money had been secured, 
two committees were appointed, one of boys and one of 
girls, to purchase the gifts. These were sent to the church 
and on a Saturday afternoon a wrapping and packing bee 
was held, participated in by a large percentage of the pupils. 
Each package was wrapped, stamped with a Christmas seal, 
and marked with the name of its recipient. Another com- 
mittee attended to shipping the barrel and the job was done. 

The results were these: a large amount of interest and 
useful information about our southern mountain people 
had been acquired; a kindly bit of service had been rendered 
in a truly friendly spirit; the members of the department 
had come to look upon these boys and girls in the South as 
neighbors; and best of all, everyone agreed that the project 
had been great fun. As soon as it was over the question 
came from many, ‘“‘ Now what can we do ?”’ 

In this particular case an entirely unforeseen result 
heightened the effect and made the whole affair a thing of 
true Christian fellowship and sharing. Just a little before 
Christmas a box came addressed to the members of this 
church-school department. When opened it was found to 
contain a mass of fresh holly, ‘‘ Picked for our friends in the 
North by boys and girls of school.” The effect was 
inspiring. When the cover of that box came off and one 
boy caught sight of the contents and the inscription on the 
card, he said, ‘“‘Gee, but those kids are all right!” When 
the members of this department went in to take their places 
for the general Christmas exercise, each of them wore a 
spray of holly and one of them was overheard answering 
the question of his older brother as to where he got the 
holly, ‘‘That was picked for us by our friends down south 
and you cannot buy any like it in this town.” 





REFERENCE LIST OF ADDITIONAL 
DESCRIPTIONS 


A number of articles, descriptive of religious education 
in accordance with the project principle, are to be found in 
the magazines, Religious Education and the Church School 


as follows: 
Religious Education 


ACHESON, E.L., “‘ Discussion of the (Week-Day) Conference,” 
XVII (June, 1922), 246. 

ARMSTRONG, R. O., ‘‘Older Boys’ Parliament,” XVIII 
(April, 1923), 127-30. 

Barpour, Dorotuy D., “The Case against Standardi- 
zation,’ XVIII (June, 1923), 210. 

Butter, F. E., “A Project in Mission Study,” XVIII 
(April, 1923), 102-3. 

CHASSELL, J. O., ‘‘Contrasting Views of the Educative 
Process,”’? XVIII (February, 1923), 50-51. 

Cog, G. A., ‘Discussion of the (Week-Day) Conference,” 
XVII (June, 1922), 262-63. 

HartsHorneE, Hucu, “An Experiment in Adolescent Wor- 
shin ves tle june 1027), 223-30: 

Hunter, M. C., “A Self-directing High School Depart- 
ment,” XIV (August, 1919), 267-70. 

Lotz, Exsa, ‘Discussion of the (Week-Day) Conference,” 
XVII (June, 1922), 257-58. 

Maver, Otto, ‘Developing Initiative in Young People’s 
Work,” XVIII (April, 1923), 97-99. 

Newron, Mary, “Discussion of the (Week-Day) Confer- 
ence,” XVII (June, 1922), 263-64. 


353 


354 THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


REICHARD, L. F., ‘‘The School as a Project,’’ XVII (Decem- 
ber, 1922), 447-51. 

SHAVER, E. Ix, ““A Survey of Week-Day Religious Educa- 
tion,’’ XVII (April, 1922), 141-42. 

TALLMAN, Lavinta, ‘‘New Types of Class Teaching,” 
XII (August, 1917), 271-80. 


Church School 


Corr, H. F., ““A Teacher Tries a New Method,” IV (April, 
1923), 296, 297, 335- 

CRAWFORD, J. D., ‘Old and New Gifts,’”’ III (June, 1922), 
420-31. 

Crum, Mason, “A Project in Church History,” V (August, 
1924), 508, 500, 528. 

GATES, HERBERT W., “‘The Man Who Wouldn’t Give Up— 
How Six Boys Wrote the Story of Joseph Hardy 
Neesima,’”’ V (March, 1924), 256-60. 

HARTSHORNE, Hucu, “‘A School of the Christian Life— 
Projects,” IV (June, 1923), 421, 422, 420. 

““A School of the Christian Life—Festivals,”’ 
V (November, 1923), 73-74. 

HAywarp, P. R., “Shall Our Pupils Receive or Participate ?”’ 
IT (January, 1921), 166. 

Moore, JEssIE E., ‘Respectfully Submitted,” V (March, 
1924), 280-81. 

OweEN, G. W., “College Young People, the Home Church 
and Watch Night,” II (December, 1920), 25. 

ScHiIttinc, Arma N., ‘Under Our Flag,” II (November, 
1920), 39-41. 

, ‘Christmas Helpers,” II (December, 1920), 39, 40, 48. 

, “Under Our Flag,” II (January, 1921), 182-84. 

Watson, Goopwin B., ‘“‘Do Projects Work?” V (August, 


1924) ) 506-7 











Bak aie 
APPENDIX 


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SECTION I 


SOURCE LIST OF PUBLIC-SCHOOL PRO- 
JECTS HAVING SUGGESTIVE VALUE 
FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 


Note.—The student may wish to make a further study 
of projects as carried out in the public school with special 
reference to those which might furnish fruitful suggestions 
for planning church-school projects. If so, his attention is 
called to those listed below. In studying such descriptions 
as these, it is, of course, necessary to keep clearly in mind the 
distinctive task of Christian education,‘ in order that any 
plans made will result in an experience for the group which 
places a Christian interpretation upon life and culminates in 
a Christian attitude and character. 


A. Descriptions in Sample Projects, First Series, edited and 
published (1920) by James F. Hosic, Teachers College, 
New York City. 

“Safety First,” p. 4. 

“Thrift Dramatization,” p. 6. 
“February’s Historic Holidays,” p. 6. 
AoLudyOL Ltaly<<p..0: 

“The Junior Civic League,” p. 14. 
“A School Board of Health,” p. 23. 
‘“‘A Trip to Boston,” p. 27. 
“‘Christmas for Orphans,” p. 31. 

B. Descriptions in Sample Projecis, Second Series, edited 
and published (1921) by James F. Hosic, Teachers Col- 
lege, New York City. 


t See chaps. iii and iv. 
357 


358 


THE PRrojEcT PRINCIPLE 


“Hawaii in the Fourth Grade,” p. 8. 
“The School Paper,” p. 11. 

‘An Unselfish Christmas,”’ p. 12. 

‘A Review Lesson on the Vikings,” p. 13. 
“Our Library,’ \p. 25. 


. Descriptions in the Journal of Educational Method, 


published by World Book Company, at Yonkers, New 
York, for the National Conference on Educational 
Method. 

“A Project in Third Grade,” I (September, 1921), 34. 
‘“‘A Newspaper in the Primary School,” I (November, 
TOS Ei 

“Home Life in Louisville in 1800 and 1921,” I (January, 
1922), 210. 

“My Project-Problem,” I (February, 1922), 255. 
“Indian Music—A Children’s Project,’ I (March, 
1922), 207. 

“A Child’s Project Problem,” I (May, 1922), 384. 

‘A Project in Community Health,’ IT (October, 1922), 68. 
“Montana, The Land of the Shining Mountains: A 
Pageant,” II (November, 1922), 120. 

“Making a Class Paper,” II (November, 1922), 127. 
““A Christmas Project,” II (December, 1922), 173. 

“A Project in Oral and Written English,” II (January, 
1923), 217. 

‘A Reading Project,” II (January, 1923), 221. 

“A Project in Training for Citizenship,’ II (February, 
1923), 250. 

“A Geography Project,” II (February, 1923), 263. 

“A Trip to Japan,” II (March, 1923), 304. 

“Outline of a Junior Red Cross Project,’’ II (April, 
1923), 347. 

‘““A Boost-Your-Town Project for English Classes,’ II 


(May, 1923), 394. 


SOURCE List oF PUBLIC-SCHOOL PROJECTS 359 


““A Project in Modern Poetry,’ III (September, 1923), 
36. 

“Pleasure Reading,” III (October, 1923), 80. 

“A Sixth-Grade Project and Its Values,”’ III (November, 
TO24) 1104: 

“A Project in the Third Grade,’ III (November, 
£023), 123. 

“Giving to the Hospital,’ III (November, 1923), 125. 
“A Fifth Grade History Project,’ III (December, 
1923), 168. 

‘““A Second Grade Project,” III (December, 1923), 169. 
“Thrift Project,” III (January, 1924), 215. 

“How to Grow and Sell Flowers for the Junior Red Cross 
Fund,” III (February, 1924), 243. 

‘“‘A Health Play,” III (February, 1924), 250. 

“Reading Project,—‘The Home,’” III (March, 1924), 
304. 

. Descriptions in the Twentieth Yearbook of the National 
Society for the Study of Education, Part I (see chap. ii, 
p. 18). 

POS 01950 ,107 19522 35,39) 337,43; 511152350) 10 (4a 8a 705 
81, 84, 85, 87, 88, 95, 96, 130, 135, 138, 140, 143, 148, 
PR Gyr 50 nERO, 102,105; 107, 108, 1701173, 161 5101 200, 
POUR 2057.2 20,122 7,,220,1230,'231, 240, 250, 


SECTION II 


A PLAN FOR SECURING CO-OPERATION 
OF PARENTS 


EXPLANATORY LETTER TO PARENTS 


DEAR FRIEND: 


We are endeavoring to bring about a closer co-operation 
between the home and the Sunday school. It is becoming 
more and more evident that our Christian teaching loses 
much value because we do not work in harmony. We 
believe that you can help us so that both your efforts in the 
home and ours in the Sunday school will get better results. 
We are asking you to spend a few minutes every two weeks 
in preparing a report to your child’s teacher. If she knows 
what her pupils have been doing and thinking, she can better 
direct her teaching to suit the child’s present needs. 

Your part will be as follows. You are to fill out and 
mail the reports marked “‘B” and “C” (which are on oppo- 
site sides of the same sheet) to the teacher every two weeks 
on Fridays. You will find also one sheet marked 
“A. General Information about Child.” This is to be 
filled out and sent in with the first report. Self-addressed 
envelopes, already stamped, are furnished that you may be 
put to no additional expense. 

You may need to practice observing your child’s 
behavior more closely. The child’s life is made up of a 
number of little events—so it seems to us who are older. 
But those /iitle things are big to the child and are the founda- 
tion of Christian character if rightly interpreted. Do not 


360 


CO-OPERATION OF PARENTS 361 


be hesitant about telling even the seemingly small facts. A 
birthday, a new companion, a present from someone, a visit 
to another or from another, a new game or kind of play, a 
quarrel, a generous deed, are all important. These are 
but a few samples of many red-letter events in the child’s 
life. If you will watch carefully, you will begin to see the 
formation of new habits every few days. The child is 
forming a character, slowly but surely. We can make that 
character Christian, if we work together. Tell us about 
these things and we will try to do our part. 

Thanking you for the co-operation which we are sure you 
will gladly give, we are 

Yours very sincerely, 


Teacher 


Educational Director 


362 THE Project PRINCIPLE 


REPORT A 
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD 
. Date i ernaae 
IN GME ee ees ote ere nee eae pel co. GENEL ie: Born) yeas 
PPE NOW Dee ties woe ee olen earner aes Public-school grade.... 
Grade in Sunday school.......... ‘Teacher’. ace 


ae 6 ee eles 0 0! @ "0 © © 6 (e186 «6% ‘6 6 0 Wild ghee 0 0) 6 16) 6 8 @ 6 @ 46 8 0s) CUsEeEeelere 
a SS 
© 0 o 6 4) 8 0) e 0 6 ee. 8 10!\0\ 0) 6. ©. 6 © ee © 6 [6 0) © wb pb 6) ef eLie 6: wj'e) of) 1m Keliel ie ile ental ane temas 
e (ee ia! fo) 6) 02 60 (0) e 6 be)! yee, © ie! 0, eo be) 6 -@ [erasers le (6 © \e 2 so) e656.» a) ete ee) eee eel ame 
eoecece er we eee ee wre eee ee ee em wm eee wee eee eens seer eer ree ees e ee oe 
CS 2 
6 8 0 0) eo -@ fale) @ 6. elie ole, o (0) fe 6 Dy\0;'6! @ Je’ ©. 0 2 8: 0 01 6 6 6.6) 'e 8 16 © 6) @ wen 6 sie so) Seen ae® 
@ 0 6 © 6. e106 © 6 6 0 6 0 0 0 6 6 8 8 6 op oe 8 8 bee 6 fp 8 6 8 6 6 6 8 es 8 eo © 6) el 6 abe 6 6 
O70) 00 00 a)\0 @ © ele) 6 0 © 0) © &81,6):0 6 66 6 Le 6b 0 © (8 6, 0:0) 01:6) e106 Je) 8.12 el sm ee ferlee®, 
he @ 0) ole (ea (6 @ tee) e 6 0) ee s se) 0 0 6 6 6 0 6 © 6) 6, es © © (ee s 6 6 ls ele sie epemelw iene 


eceeceoecveeeseeeeerereeeereeoeee ere ee reece eee eer eee ew ee wow ee 8 8 


How much time does it spend with them? .............. 
What do theyido es oc) eks ses SE Oa 


Give any other information you can which you think the 
child’s Sunday-school teacher ought to have to teach him 
better, on the other side of this sheet. 


CO-OPERATION OF PARENTS 363 


REPORT B 
PARENT’S REPORT OF CHILD’s ACTIVITY 
Daten Gmece 
BNATIEOECHIIC | frase fo sos Person reporting ae tute eee 


(Tell what the child has been doing since your last report. 
Give the days when anything unusual took place. Give 
information regarding sickness, play, good deeds, wrongs 
committed, new playmates, habits begun, things which have 
given the child much pleasure or annoyance, things upon 
which the child has spent much time and thought, etc. If 
his Sunday-school teacher knows what the child has been 
doing and thinking, she can teach him more effectively. 
Mail this report to the reacher on the foregoing date.) 


(Remainder of page left for answer) 


REPORT C 


PARENT’S REPORT OF RESULTS TO 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER 


Tiel: drat Oats) mo SUN Weak ea Al akg Person reporting 349). ee 


(Tell what changes in the behavior of the child you have 
observed since your last report. Just what things did the 
child do or not do which might have been influenced by your 
previous reports to the child’s teacher. No change may be 
observed, but if there should be the teacher would like to 
know it.) 


(Remainder of page left for answer) 


SECTION III 


THE FINDINGS OF THE FOREST HILLS CON- 
FERENCE ON CORRELATION OF PRO- 
GRAMS IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION! 


1. The child in the local group is the basis of correla- 
tion of program material. 

2. Local initiative and experimentation in program- 
making are to be encouraged and stimulated, even in the 
less resourceful communities, rather than the adoption of 
prescribed programs of activities. 

3. In order to make available a variety of source 
material in a form usable by local communities, and in order 
to give them stimulus, help and guidance, typical programs 
should be developed nationally. Such programs should 
grow out of local experimentation, and every effort should be 
made to prevent them from becoming fixed and static. 

4. National organizations have important functions to 
perform in encouraging experimentation, comparing the 
results from various communities, serving as a clearing- 
house for successful methods, developing and training 
leaders, and especially in sensing problems or plans that 
might be typical of any large grouping in American or world- 
society, so that there may be the outlook of the larger 
groupings as well as of the local community. 

5. In view of the larger value which comes from the 
development of plans locally, and in view of the fact 
that no one type of program can meet the needs of every 


From Church School, for October, 1923. 
364 


Forrest Hitts CONFERENCE 365 


community or group, programs should be presented by the 
national organizations in such form as will make possible 
individual selection and adaptation and stimulate initiative 
and resourcefulness. Community groups should work out 
plans locally, using national programs as source material in 
meeting different kinds of situations. 

6. As an immediate step in facilitating this procedure, 
the common, as well as the distinctive, material of the differ- 
ent programs now existing should be codified and cross- 
referenced so as to make it more available for use in the 
development of self-directed activities. 

7. We note with appreciation the fact that the Com- 
mittee on International Curriculum of the International 
Lesson Committee plans to have integrally related to its 
work on a church-school curriculum all the elements 
involved in the entire program of religious education. 

8. We recommend that each of the general agencies 
concerned in religious education be asked to name two 
representatives to a Council on Correlation, which would 
serve as a clearing-house of problems and plans of mutual 
concern. 

We recommend that this council be convened at an 
early date by the committee which called this conference. 

While this council will form its own organization and 
determine its own functions, we recommend 

a) That it give attention to the codifying and cross- 
referencing of present program material. 

b) That it consider the possibility of further co-operation ° 
on the part of all agencies concerned in the preparation of 
program material. 


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INDEX 


{[Notr.—Only the names of authors referred to in Part I of the text are 


ncluded in the index.] 


Activities, variety of, used in 
projects, 79, 158 

Activity: need for, in educa- 
tion, 5 f.; in Christian edu- 
cation, 113, 153 ff.; having 
educational value, raf. 


Adult department: suggested 
projects for, 76; descriptions 
of projects in, 320-32 

Aim of Christian education, 
35, 37 ff., 47; character aim 
in all education, 36 ff.; de- 
termining teacher’s réle, TART: 

Americanization, 37, 44 f. 

Artman, J. M., 82, 120 

Athearn, W. S., 153 

Attitudes as outcomes of a 
project, 84f., 115 


Barbour, Dorothy D., 156 


Beginners’ department: sug- 
gested projects for, 70; de- 


scriptions of projects in, 
183-92 
Bible, the, 49, 82, 132 ff. 
Books, reading, to discover 


pupils’ interests, 104 f. 
Building, influence of project 
principle on, 162 f. 
Busy work, 52 


Camp Fire Girls, 69, 120 


Canadian Standard Efficiency 
Training Program, 120 


359 


Cartoons, use of, 83, 105 f. 


Character: as an aim in all 
education, 35 f.; asan aimin 
public education, 36; as the 
aim of the church school, 37; 
methods of developing, 42 ff.; 
as the aim of extra-church 
agencies, I19; examination 
for growth in, 84f., 135 f. 

Child psychology, see “Psy- 
chology, child”’ 


Children, 44 f., 64, 103, 159 f. 


Christian Citizenship Training 
Program, 120 


Christian education: 
35; distinctive 
37 ff.; aim in selecting pro- 
jects for, 40f.; method of, 
45; tests of projects for, 47 ff.; 
insuring values for,55 ff. 

Church: giving young a part 
in, 53 ff.; and church school, 
55; program of, as source of 
projects, 63 ff.; life in, as 
source material, 83; plan 
for joining, 85 ff.; age at 
which children join, 152 f.; 
opportunity of, 174 ff. 

Church membership: a plan 
for, 85 ff.; basis of, 152 ff. 

Church school and the church, 
55 

Citizenship training: as an aim 
in public education, 44 f.; 
use of indirect methods in, 44 


defined, 
task of, 


37° 


Civic and social life, 61 f., 83 
Civics, see “Citizenship train- 
men. 
Coe, George A., 38f., 43, 45, 106 
Commercial life, 83 
Community co-operation, 165 f. 
Completeness, psychological: a 
test of educative experience, 
5; of Christian education 
projects, 49 ff.; of curricu- 
lum material, 120 ff.; im- 
portance in habit-formation, 
138; of teacher’s experience, 
148 f); a test. of: church- 
school organization, 154 ff. 
Conferences, teachers’, 149 f. 
Constructive projects, 56 
Co-operation: a test of educa- 
Live), Experience, git. apr 
Christian education projects, 
54f.; of parents, 164f.; in 
the community, 165 f.; plans 
for, 109, 360-63; see also 
‘Social element” 
Co-ordination, see “Unity of 
educative experience”’ 
Cope, Henry F., 115).156, 158 
Correlation, see “Unity of 
educative experience” 
Courses, new, 124 


Criteria of educative experi- 


ence, see ‘‘'Tests”’ 
Curriculum: a series of selected 
experiences, 9 f.; dependent 
upon resurvey, 62f.; sig- 
nificance of project prin- 
ciple for, chap. vili.; a pro- 
ject, 122 £.>,the future,722 f. 


Democracy, see ‘Social ele- 
ment,” ‘‘Co-operation,” etc. 
Denomination, literature of, as 
source of projects, 64f.; 68 


THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Descriptions of projects, Part 
II; see ‘Table of Contents” 

Development, religious, of child 
as factor in determining 
teacher’s réle, 144 

Dewey, John, 50 

Diagnosis principle, 110 

Direct-learning projects, 13 f., 
ieee 

“Direct”? methods of char- 
acter development, 42 ff. 

Discussion, used in projects, 
79, 82 

Drama, 133, 137 

Drill, 79, 82, 133 f., 173 

Dunn, Arthur W., 45 


Education: through experi- 
ence, 3; as controlled expe- 
rience, 4; both qualitative 
and quantitative, 4; see 
also ‘“‘Christian education,” 
“‘Public education,” etc. 


Educative experience, _ see 
“Education,” ‘‘ Experience,” 
SL eStsye Clee 


Equipment, influence of pro- 
ject principle on, 162 f. 


Evaluation, see “ Judging” 
Examination, 135 f. 


Executing as a step in a project, 
1S 1,78 dh gor 

Experience: the basis of edu- 
cation, 3; educative, criteria 
of, 4 ff.; purposeful, 5; 
psychologically | complete, 
51.3 lifelike, 6 £.; soctaliv ie 
the curriculum as _ selected 
units of, gf.; personal, as 
aid in carrying out projects, 
83; rich Christian, for a 
teacher, 141 f. 


INDEX 


Experimentation, 82, 168. 
“‘Expressional” activities, 5o f. 


Finance, 163 f. 

Fisher, Dorothy Canfield, 103 

Forest Hills Conference, 123, 
364 f. 

Formal steps, project principle 
distinct from, 81, 138 


Gary schools, 44 

Gates, Herbert W., 118 

German relief, project plan for, 
96-98 

Girl Reserves, 120 

Grading of pupils, 152 ff. 


Habits: as outcomes of a pro- 
ject, 84f., 114; learning 
development of, by observa- 
tion, 111 f.; as subject for 
drill, 135; art of forming, 
138; see also ‘Completeness, 
psychological.” 


Hall, A. Neeley, 68 

Harris, Hannah M., 45, 52 

Hartshorne, Hugh, 57, 114 

Hatch, R. W., 174 

Holt, Arthur E., 76 

Home, 83, 164f.; 
“Parents” 

Hosic, James F., ro, 15 f., 147 

Humility as a quality of leader- 
ship, 143 

Hunting, Harold B., 124 

Hutchins, William N., 68 

Hymns, in project-teaching, 
134 

Illustration, 79, 82, 132 f. 


Imagination as a quality of 
leadership, 142 


see also 


371 


“Indirect”? methods of char- 
acter development, 42 ff. 


Industrial life, 83 


Information: as outcome of a 
project, 84, 114; giving of, 
in project-teaching, 130f.; 
vs. thinking, 135 f.; giving 
of, as usual aim of church 
school, 154 f. 


Initiative: in public education, 
48; makes for new curricu- 
lum material, 114; in drill, 
134 f. 

Instruction, 156 

Interest and attention, 5 


Interests, pupils’: as source of 
PIojects; LOSia oon 
sidered in launching pro- 
jects, 79 f.; how to discover, 
chap. vi; sympathy with, as 
a quality of leadership, 142; 
as basis of grading and pro- 
motion, 151 ff. 

Intermediate department: sug- 
gested projects for, 71 ff.; 
descriptions of projects in, 
223-54 

Introduction of project-teach- 
ing, chap. xii 


Jesus as a teacher, 51 f. 

Judging: as a step in a project, 
TSH? COieevr 7s Mothers: 
projects, 169 

Judgment, good, as a quality 
of leadership, 143 

Junior church members, 64, 
154 

Junior department: suggested 
projects for, 71; descriptions 
of projects in, 205-22 

Junior Red Cross, 45 


372 


Kilpatrick });Wi) Hi)’ 1248.) 120, 
143 £., 174 

Kingdom of God, the, contribu- 
tion to, as a testeof Christian 
education projects, 52 ff. 


Launching the project, 79 f. 


Leadership qualities for project 
teacher, 142f.; professional 
leadership, 162 


Learning: through experience, 
3f.; by doing vs. learning 
about, 5f., 49f.; laws of, 
teacher to know, 143f.; 
see also ‘Completeness, psy- 
chological,’ ‘‘Lifelikeness,”’ 


‘“‘Purposefulness,” ‘‘Social 
element” 

Lecturing, 130f.; see also 
“Information” 

Library, reference, 163 

Lifelikeness: a test of educa- 


tive’ “experience, '6'f): "of 
Christian education projects, 
52 ff.; of curriculum materi- 
als, 118; of church-school 
organization, 157 f. 
Littlefield, M. S., 68 


Lobingier, J. L., 124 


Magazines: as source of pro- 
jects, 63; as reference ma- 
terial, 83; helpful in dis- 
covering pupils’ interests, 
104 

Majority, views of, 38 

Materials, see ‘Source 
material,” ‘ Curriculum,” 
“Textbooks” 


McGiffert, A: C., 175 


Measurements of educative 
experience, see “‘ Tests” 


Meetings, types of, 156 f. 


THE PrRojECT PRINCIPLE 


Memory work, 40, 133 f. 


Methods of character-develop- 
ment, 42 ff. 
Minority, views of, 38 


Missionary education, 45, 57, 
64, 118, 159; descriptions of 
projects, Part II, Numbers, 
I, 8, I3, 14, 17, IQ, 21, 23) 255 
28, 32, 33, 36, 38, 48, 49, 50, 
72) 74, 75) 77 

Moving-pictures, 105 


Nationalism and public educa- 
tion, 37 

Newspapers: a source of pro- 
jects, 63; as reference materi- 
al, 83; helpful in discovering 
pupils’ interests, 104 


Observation: a means of dis- 
covering educative projects, 
63; trips for, 79, 132; place 
of, in carrying out a project, 
82; value of, in discovering 
pupils’ interests, 106; art of 
directing, 137; of others’ 
teaching, 168 


‘“‘Opportunist”’ teaching, 66 

Organization, church-school, 
chap. x1; tests¥of, 151 ff: 

Organized classes and depart- 
ments, 157 


‘+: Owen, W. B., 12 


Pageants, 133, 137 

Parents, co-operation of, 164 f.; 
plans for, 109 f., 360-63 

Perkins, Jeanette E., 124 

Personal contact with pupil, 
106 f. 

Personal element in Christian 
education projects, 57 


Philanthropy, remedial, vs. 
constructive projects, 56 


INDEX 


Pictures: 7132 

Plan for carrying through a 
project, chap. vi; tentative, 
79 {.; group, 80f.; examples 
of, 85-08. 

Planning as a step in a project, 
Ge ie7o thas 71 f: 


Play 62,0371 55 fe 


Practical element in educative 
process, see “‘Lifelikeness.”’ 


Primary department:  sug- 
gested projects for, 70; de- 
scriptions of projects in, 193- 
204 

Professional leadership, 162 


Program of church as source of 
projects, 63 ff. 


Project principle: distinct from 
method, 10; an outgrowth of 
other educational doctrines, 
tof.; found in primitive 
education, 11; answers de- 
mands of modern life, 12; 
as a test of curricula, 120 ff.; 
acquiring the viewpoint, 
147 ff.; a basis of com- 
munity co-operation, 165 f.; 
cautious use of term, 173 f.;’ 
see also ‘Table of Contents” 


as units of experi- 
defined, 10; types 
public — school, 


Projects: 
ence, 9 {.; 
Oleent 3 i1:; 
chap. ii; 


cation, Ao i... Chaps: 1V..-V,; 


constructive, 56; thought- 
provoking, 56; complex, 
s6f.;\ longer, 56f.; | with 


personal touch, 57; with 
spiritual values, 57; starting- 
points for discovering, 60 ff.; 
special sources of, 67 f.; 
one hundred suggestions for, 
69 ff.; making a plan for, 


for Christian edu-_ 


373 


chap. vi; types of, deter- 
mine teacher’s rdéle, 145 f.; 
descriptions of, see ‘‘ Table of 
Contents: Part IL” 


Promotion, 152 f. 


Psychological completeness as 
test of educative experience, 
see ‘“‘Completeness, psycho- 
logical”’ 

Psychology, child, 102 ff. 


Public education: function of, 
36; relation of religious 
education to, 37 ff.; litera- 
ture of, as source of projects, 
69 

Public-school projects, chap. ii 

Pupils: teacher must know, 
65f., 79 f., 142f.; discover- 
ing interests of, chap. vii; 
use of techniques by, 138; 
sharing in equipment and 
finance, 163 f. 


Purposefulness: a test of edu- 
cative experience, 5f.; of 
Christian education projects, 
47 ff.; of curriculum ma- 
terial, 117; of church-school 
organization, 151 ff. 

Purposing as a step in a project, 
15 foo 


Questioning, 79, 129 f. 


Records, 164 

Recreation, 82, 137, 155 

Reference books, 79, 82 

Religious education: defined, 
35; the distinctive task of, 
ay see “Education,” 
“Christian education” 

Reports, parents’: helpful in 
discovering pupils’ interests, 
109 f.; a plan for, 360-63 


374 


Resourcefulness required of 
project) teacher, 81j;/(140 .; 
170 


Satisfaction determines value 
of experience, 5 f., 16 


Scouts, Boy and Girl, 69, 120 


Senior department: suggested 
projects for, 73 f.; descrip- 
tions of projects in, 255~91 

Service: organizations for, as 
source of projects, 68; meet- 
ings for, 156; descriptions of 
projects, Part II, Numbers, 
I, 2, 4, 12, 20, 35; 38, 42, 
51, 54, 62, 64, 65, 67, 70, 
7713 

Sharing as a test of educative 
experience, see ‘‘Social ele- 
ment” 


Social and civic life, 61 f., 83 


Social element: a test of educa- 
tive experience, 7f.; | of 
Christian education projects, 
54f.; of curriculum materi- 
als, 118 f.; of church-school 
organization, 159 f.; see also 
‘“‘Co-operation”’ 


Social service, see ‘‘Service”’ 
b] 


Source material, 70, 82{., 


Len To 7a 
Sources of projects, chap. v 


Specialization, value of, for 
teacher, 137, 141 f. 


Spiritual values, need for pro- 
jects involving, 57 


Stage, 105 
‘“‘Statements of Purpose,” 47 f. 


State schools: function of, 36; 
relation of religious educa- 
tion to, 37 ff. 


THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE 


Steps in a project, 15 f., chap. 
vi; determining teacher’s 
role, 146 

Stories as helps in discovering 
pupils’ interests, 104 f. 

Story-telling, 79, 82, 128 f. 

Study, technique of directing, 
137 

Subjects as units of experi- 
ence, 9 


Supervision, 162 


Teacher: place of, in directing 
experience, 8, 16; in relation 
to curriculum, 124f.; in 
project-teaching, chap. x; 
qualifications of, 140 ff.; 
varied réle of, 144 ff.; new 
method of training, 147 ff.; 
see also “Training of teach- 


ers”’ 


Techniques of teaching, 79, 
chap. ix 

Temperance, 45 

Testing, see “‘Judging”’ 

Tests of educative experience, 
4ff.; applied to Christian 
education projects, 47 ff.; 
to the curriculum, 117 ff.; 
to church-school organiza- 
tion, 151 ff. 

Textbooks as source material, 
83, I19 

Thinking, 56, 115 

Training of teachers, non- 
technical helps for, 103 ff.; 
need for new method of, 
147 ff. 

Transfer value of experience, 6f. 

Type experiences, 115 ff. 


Union School of Religion, 136, 
164 


INDEX 


Units of educative experience: 
subjects as, 9; projects as, 10 

Unity of educative experience, 
epee sus (I 54 fh. 

Usefulness as test of educative 
experience, see “‘Lifelikeness”’ 


Vacation church schools, 122 f., 
166; descriptions of projects 
in, Part II, Numbers 35, 45, 
47, 56, 70 


Wardle, Addie G., 68 


Week-day religious education, 
AtmiOG. 122) f..53r, 150, 166; 
descriptions of projects, Part 
Live Un bers 1-7, 110,015,'17, 
19, 20, 24, 26, 20, 32, 33, 37; 
40, 45, 51, 52, 55 

Whipple, Guy M., 18 


375 


Wholeheartedness, as test of 
educative experience, see 
“‘Purposefulness”’ 


Winchester, B. S., 96 

World-friendship, plan for 
course in, g1 ff. 

Worship: in project-teaching, 
WO. els 7s) 173i Curr 
school organization, 155 f. 


Yaple, George S., o1 

Young Men’s Christian Asso- 
ciation, 69, 120, 136 

Young people’s department: 
suggested projects for, 74 ff.; 
descriptions of projects in, 
292-319 

Young Women’s 
Association, 120 


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